My Hostage, Not Yours 3: The Inevitable Takeover
by RavenFollower13
Summary: When Gaz finds out Zim only has 3 months to take over the world, or be deactivated, she's only too willing to help. But with Dib on the opposing team, problems arise they can't adapt to. It's not so hard getting power, but is it as easy keeping it?
1. Skools In

Anyone seen Maroon 5's music video to Misery? It makes me think a lot of how I imagine Zim and Gaz's relationship. O.o

**For those of you who haven't figured it out by now, Zim and Gaz's relationship consists of blowing out the others fuse unless the other agrees the irritation or emotion is worth it.**

Starting off like the chapter says.

Summers over. Skools in.

Enjoy the beginning of the end!

* * *

**Chapter 1  
"Skool Is In"**

The rest of the summer had been boring. But anything was better then _Skool_, of course.

But Gaz had to admit, the first day was probably the best she'd ever had.

It was historic event, really. All three of the weirdest kids of the Skool, one of which who was a consistent loner, one who hated the other weirdo (and accused him of being an alien daily) and the girl who made the principal cry on her first of Hi-Skool, all walking in together. Of course, Gaz and Dib always walked in together but Zim never walked in with _anybody_.

And there was a fourth addition the odd little group. Zim, not trusting Gir to stay at home with Minnie-Moose supervising anymore (not after a certain incident over the summer), had him disguised as his little brother, in a costume Gaz had helped put together for the 'realistic' look.

So all in all they were quite a sight. Zim had entered looking around suspiciously until Gaz had smacked him on the shoulder and demanded he stop acting like they were doing something wrong. They had proceeded to begin arguing in hushed tones, leaning rather surprisingly (for those who weren't used to it yet) close to one another. Not only that but the new kid (Gir) and Dib were interacting as well. Gir was talking animatedly to Dib, who looked rather frightened of the strange 'little boy'.

Dib, actually, should've graduated that year. However, during the summer, one of the only eventful things was that Dib had unintentionally blown up a portion of the Skool. If Dib had not been Dr. Membrane's son, he would've been expelled and thrown in prison. However, after quite a few strings had been pulled, they'd settled for Dib being held back a year instead, to suffer another unnecessary year of Skool.

But lunch had been the best by far.

Not only did Zim sit with other people, but with _Dib_? That would've been surprising but the real reason made people's jaws drop, food falling from their mouths as they stared.

Zim and Dib had arrived first, which was why people had assumed they were now friends. They'd only been alone about thirty seconds (spent sitting uncomfortably at the whispers and stares) until Gaz had entered the room, doors bursting open as she shoved them angrily.

"Zim!" She shouted, silencing everyone's conversations as they turned to stare at her.

At once the alien-boy turned, looking alarmed. He jumped to his feet upon seeing her murderous expression and in the deathly silence the sound of his shoes against the floor could be heard. Gaz met him halfway and there they stopped, having approached the other.

"What is it?" Zim asked, staring at her.

Gaz bared her teeth at him as she hissed, "Do you know where Gir is at this time?"

At once Zim's wide eyes turned tired, the exact image of someone who knew what was to be expected. "What did he do _now_?"

"See this?" She reached into her mostly empty bag and pulled out her handheld. Onlookers gasped, quietly. It was well-known how protective Gaz was of her gaming devices. If Zim's little brother (as the information had now spread) had done anything to mess with it, it would be a wonder if he was still breathing and in one piece.

Zim groaned, "I _told_ him not to touch it!"

"He did more then touch it," Gaz insisted through her teeth, unconsciously stroking the thing with her fingers as if it was her child. "Your stupid little brother tried to _eat** my game**_! Look, he got his stupid little-boy slobber and bite marks all over it!"

Her voice had suddenly turned slightly pouty, to the surprise of the cafeteria. Gaz never whined, much less pouted. She was all fury and suppressed hatred of all living things. A stick of dynamite with an impossibly short fuse. And **_she_** was **_complaining_** to **_Zim_**? The very thought was just too unbelievable.

"He bit it, you say?" Zim gently removed the object from her hands, examining it. Gaz crossed her arms as she waited, scowling. Zim was impossibly careful with it and everyone seemed to hold their breaths as he handled it with care.

The damage was slight but prominent. Scratches consisting with someone attempting to gnaw on it were all over the outside cover and opening it, Zim saw that it was indeed wet with spit. He scowled, planning to handle Gir when he next saw him, if Gaz hadn't already.

Zim gave her an apologetic look, placing the device in his PAK for later. "I apologize for his behavior. I'll have this fixed when I return home."

"Good," Gaz replied, still pouting but seeming to not be angry. They headed over to their table, where Dib sat, the only one in the room (including the cafeteria staff) that hadn't even looked up at Zim and Gaz's little spat.

This wouldn't have been so surprising had Zim not put his arm around Gaz, oblivious to the looks, and muttered his apologies and reassurances to the health of her game into her ear. People were positively choking on air and tensed, expecting Zim to be in pieces soon. To their ever-growing shock, Gaz hardly reacted besides a sideways glance at him. So they turned to Dib, anticipating some sort of fight. But everyone was disappointed to see him just make a face of disgust and say nothing but ask how their classes had been so far.

True, it was not the first time Zim and Gaz had been seen in public together, on Skool grounds or otherwise. But it _was_ the first time the two had made it known that they were _together_ together. Not that they cared really, or even took notice to everyone's reactions.

Not until Dib did, jerked his chin towards the prying eyes, and Gaz turned around and shot everyone looks.

"What are you all looking at?" She snapped.

Immediately everyone turned away and spoke to their companions, about anything.

Anything to get Gaz to stop looking at them like that, really.

Zim and Gaz had every class together, thanks to Zim hacking into the Skool's registration. She threatened to kill him if he did if so, so he'd done it just to spite her. He'd smirked at her the whole time after showing her his classes for the year, laughing even after Gaz had punched him in the face.

What a weird couple they were.

* * *

That had been about a year ago. Now all three of the were Seniors, save Gir, who was a Sophomore.

Currently, however, they were a little over a month into Skool, and they were in gym class. It was the beginning of October now.

And Gaz was in her gym clothes while Zim sat on the bleachers, in his normal clothes, with a forged doctors note that excused him from P.E. due to one of the many side-effects of his 'skin condition'. Once again he had rigged the Skool system into getting all of his classes with her. It was weird, Gaz had never expected to even be in a relationship, let alone one that had now lasted two years.

However, at the moment, Gaz could've killed him.

"Having fun?" Zim asked her, leaning over the railing and smirking at her.

Gaz wore the signature Skool colors, light blue and orange. The short-sleeved shirt was what was light blue and the shorts, reaching at about mid-thigh for her, were orange. White socks and dark sneakers, standard regulation for the P.E. uniform, completed the outfit.

It was insanely amusing to Zim that Gaz, the self-proclaiming _most_ dominant of the two (because really they were both dominant in their relationship) was being forced to perform such a meaningless task of running repeatedly around a track while he didn't and got to watch. It was the ultimate form of entertainment for him and the perfect way to harass her effortlessly.

Having been bent over stretching out her legs, as far from the other girls as possible, Gaz stood up and glared at him. "Care to join me?"

"Not really, no." Zim replied back smugly, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head. "I would prefer just to watch."

"Mm," Gaz made a contemplative face, glancing backward to confirm no one was looking at her. When this was proved, she removed her necklace (tucked under her shirt to avoid getting scolded for wearing jewelry during P.E.), and lit up a small flame on her finger. "And if I burned your vision, do you think you would still have so much 'fun'?"

Yes, Gaz's '_ability_' had not disappeared over the rest of the summer. In fact, much to Dib's dismay and Zim's growing intrigue, the uncanny malfunction in her system caused by the dissolving of Iggin's controlling electrodes, her ability to create balls of fuchsia energy had yet to show any signs of going away any time soon. In fact, she was getting rather good at getting it to appear. Currently she was practicing not arching her fingers, but, as you can see, she can only get small flames.

Zim's smirk disappeared at the flame and he leaned forward again, speaking quickly and warningly. "You shouldn't be so careless with that. Someone could see you."

Gaz shrugged, evaporated her flame, and tucked her necklace away once again. "They're too stupid to notice."

Zim didn't seem quite as optimistic. For someone who had been hiding on a foreign planet for years, he allowed himself to be careless, but he knew his boundaries. Like public places that could easily identify you, such as Skool. Gaz, however, clearly had even less faith in her race then Zim did. That was hard to believe but not impossible.

"Gaz!" The P.E. teacher barked. "Break is over. Stop harassing the cripple and get your butt over here!"

"Cripple?" Gaz's brow rose.

Zim's eyes twitched. Then suddenly his face broke out in a rage. "_**CRIPPLE**_? How _dare_ you call the Almighty Zim a cripple! You will pay for your choice of words, insolent sweat-monkey!"

It was true. Mister Kelpo, their P.E. teacher, always seemed to be sweaty, no matter what they were doing. And oddly, no one ever seemed to see him doing any sort of physical activity, hence the lovely pot-belly he sported. There was a rumor going around that he was sweaty because he was attracted so heavily to his students. The debate was whether or not he liked the boys, the girls, or both.

Mister Kelpo's mouth gaped, jaw flapping like a fish. "W-What did you call me?"

Gaz took a more tactical approach to intimidating their gym teacher, turning with one hand on her hip and wearing one of her more venomous glares. The display attracted a few looks from the students, who nudged their friends. Soon the whole class was eying Gaz as she approached Mister Kelpo, one hand still on her hip as she glared.

"Did you not hear him correctly?" She hissed. And though Gaz was a good few inches shorter then her teacher, he felt like she towered over him and sweat began pouring off of him at her look, making people think it was the girls he was attracted to, not the boys. Or maybe he was just afraid. It was hard to tell but this was just fuel for the debates that were held on a regular basis. "Why do you need him to repeat himself?"

"Young lady, don't talk to me like-!"

"Like _**what**_?" Gaz demanded, stopping about a foot away from him. When he didn't answer she smirked. "Mm, that's what I thought. You've got a bit of sweat, by the way." She eyed him with disgust. "Everywhere."

Gaz spun around and strutted off arrogantly to the beginning of the track, turning her head to see Zim rolling her eyes at her display before sitting back down to watch her classmates try and keep up with her. The rest of the students turned back to what they'd been doing beforehand, also going off to the beginning of the track. Mister Kelpo began wiping his forehead off with sweaty palms, nervously, flicking off large beads of sweat before blowing the whistle for them to start.

As Zim sat, he pondered what he'd been noticing since a week after Skool had started. The student population had been paying them more attention, as if they were slowly and unwillingly becoming something to be admired to them. He suspected it was something about their rebellion and the natural attraction most humans had to those that did what they could not. The respect and admiration they gave. Even the annoying Dib-filth was starting to get attention, and it clearly unnerved him. The four of them (including Gir, who was apparently adorable to all the dim-witted females of the Skool) were all starting to have to blow people off more then before.

It was really starting to get on Zim's nerves.

The only thing that was really keeping him sane was Gaz. He eyed her rhythmic and easy running now. Even at her 'leisurely' pace, she was still leaving her class in the dust, almost half a lap ahead of all of them, including the boys. Zim smirked at this, eying her face, which was blank and stern as she looked around at nothing in particular. Since that whole incident with the LEECHY, that seemed like forever ago now, Zim had become truly fascinated by his human.

She was consistent, true, but Zim always set limits on her cruelty that she always surprised him. Sometimes she'd be much more merciful then expected or far harsher then he'd have thought. In a way, she was unpredictable, but Zim could normally get a general feel of what decision she'd make.

Gaz was running and suddenly got a bad feeling. Immediately her eyes went to Zim, just out of sheer habit. Some people would've stopped but Gaz, for a reason unknown to her, just began picking up her pace, heading towards him.

She became alarmed at once.

Zim was staring at nothing in particular, but it wasn't natural looking, even for his weird attitude. His eyes were wide, staring straight forward. Zim's body was unnaturally stiff, entirely rigid. And though Gaz couldn't tell from this far away, she was also pretty sure he was losing color.

Gaz broke into a serious run, racing past Mister Kelpo, who was about to announce her time. He was left instead with a mouth full of track dust for his troubles as Gaz met the bleachers just as Zim's eyes drifted shut and he fell backwards on the bleachers. Gaz jumped over the railing without breaking a stride and was next to him in an instant, flipping her watch open (the only 'jewelry' allowed) that she had altered to calls Dib's a few months ago.

Her brother was in class. But she could hardly care.

"Zim?" She snapped, sitting him up and shaking his unnaturally still body. "Zim!"

It was completely stiff.

Like a corpse.

Gaz shoved that thought of her mind as Dib answered. It was clear he had run out of his classroom to answer as he looked nervous and apologetic before looking down at his wrist. "Gaz? What-?"

"Get your car and bring it around the the parking lot, next to the track," Gaz ordered. Her eyes flared with hidden panic and fire, leaving no room for questioning her demand. "Now, Dib!"

Dib jumped but nodded, looking wary, but not willing to cross her. "Um, okay. It's already there, actually, but I'll meet you-."

"No, get back into class then." Gaz growled, frustrated she hadn't remembered that detail. Weak people panicked and forgot the obvious, not her. "I'll call you back after Skool. Take care of Gir today. Make sure he doesn't do something stupid."

"Gaz, is everything-?"

She hung up on him, looking down at Zim. Sure, he wasn't as heavy as he looked, but still. Gaz wasn't exactly as strong as everyone had assumed she was.

But there wasn't time to be hesitant. Zim was only looking stranger to her.

Gaz bent down and bent him over her shoulder, the easiest way for her to carry him. By now, the rest of the class noticed there was something wrong and were heading over to her. Gaz had to hurry. If they took Zim to the hospital-.

She didn't think about, focusing on getting Zim and herself the hell out of there. Gaz managed to get both of them up to the top of the bleachers, preparing to jump off. Unfortunately, the whole Iggins ordeal hadn't given her extra strength of grace and the extra ability she _did_ have wasn't going to be any help in this situation.

Gaz couldn't exactly flame Zim to help.

She jumped off, trying to balance herself to land correctly. Somehow she managed to do it though and Gaz quickly began running to where Dib had parked the car (with her in it, she remembered, berating herself for needing to call and involve Dib at all, since it would only lead to questions she really didn't have time for). Already people were shouting, closing in. The sound of feet pounding as they ran up the bleachers reached her just as Gaz found Dib's car, opened it, and shoved Zim inside.

True, Gaz would've preferred to be otherwise dressed. But really, what could she do?

Gaz jumped in the driver seat after slamming the passenger door. In her rear-view mirror she saw people standing atop the bleachers, eying and pointing to the only started car in wonder and excitement. Nobody knew what was going on.

That was fine with her.

She peeled the car out, throwing it into drive, and then shot out of the parking lot just as Mister Kelpo, huffing and puffing, reached the top. And when asking students what happened, they insisted they had no idea. When asked where Gaz and Zim had gone, everyone claimed they'd gone to the bathroom because Zim wasn't feeling well.

* * *

Not a lot of dialogue, more of an explanation to the time jump.

Yes, two summers have passed and now they are seniors. So its been a year since the Iggins thing and 2 since the LEECHY thing.

Sound about right? Sure, why not?

And FINALLY, Gaz is saving Zim. Long awaited, right?

First chapter finished, so onto starting the next!

Till then!


	2. Zim's Time Limit

So technically this is where the real story starts.

The last chapter was mainly for background.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2  
"Zim's Time Limit"**

Gaz had her legs pressed up against her chest, hugging her knees in a rather childish but comfortable manner. She would've been the poster-child for panic and terror if she was showing her inner fear on her face, but she wasn't.

Glancing at the clock on her watch, it was lunch time now. Dib would probably be trying to keep Gir under control now, who would be wondering where his Master and Mistress were. She smirked at the thought of her brother gagging at the terms while trying to keep Gir from going into an all-out freak out.

Gaz had actually been on a high-speed chase on the way, but had lost the cops easily enough. Upon pulling up to Zim's house she had jumped out of the car and slammed the door behind her, dragging Zim (who looked considerably worse now) up to the front door. She'd kicked it open, knocking back his robotic parents that automatically answered while Zim and Gir were away. Gaz wondered if the house had shoved their twitching bodies back into the closet by now, or they were still laying on the floor.

Zim was before her, on the table, on his stomach, PAK hooked up to various large chords coming from his body. Slowly he had regained his color and Gaz's attention went to his slightly parted lips, which had a bit of drool falling from them. She smirked a little and glanced at his wig, which was still on his head, since she hadn't bothered to remove it. Gaz, having scooted the chair right up against the table, reached a hand out and touched the synthetic hair, just to see what it felt like. Normally when they were together, Zim took off his disguise, knowing her disliking towards it.

Gaz removed it from his head for that reason, revealing his limp antenna. She scowled. Everything about Zim looked bad, like he was sick.

"Computer," Gaz called. A beeping sound was her confirmation she was listening. "Anything yet?"

"It appears the Master's PAK almost shut itself down entirely." The Computer replied.

Gaz became unnaturally still. ". . . So if I hadn't brought him here when I did?"

"The defect would've killed him."

She let out a breath. No need to dwell on the things that hadn't happened. She swallowed, hard, "Did he know about this?"

"He was aware something hadn't felt right this morning." The Computer said, warily, as if reluctant to impose blame on his Master. "But he had no confirmation and so went to Skool anyways."

"Idiot," Gaz muttered, glaring down at Zim and especially his drool. "Is he going to be alright?"

"He'll have to be hooked up for a few days."

"Well, it's the weekend anyways." Gaz sighed, shaking her head. "He won't have to worry about Skool or anything . . . Not that he would anyways."

"Shouldn't you be in Skool?"

Gaz gave the computer a look of disbelief.

"Oh, um . . . Never mind."

"Yeah," Gaz scoffed curtly with an eye roll, turning back to Zim. "Is . . . Is this going to happen again?"

"Probably," The Computer admitted. "Until he is permanently terminated."

"_**What**_?" Gaz jumped to her feet, staring at the large computer screen in complete disbelief. "Z-Zim can't . . . This isn't . . . _No_." Gaz shook her head, one hand clutching it before she shot the Computer a look of such venom it let out a bit of a gasp. "What is going on? Why is his PAK acting up _now_?"

The Computer didn't answer.

"Tell me!" She shrieked, taking a threatening step towards it.

A cough made her turn around.

"Because (cough) I'm a failure as an Invader." Zim said through a cracked voice, propping himself up on his elbows in a tired fashion.

Gaz's eyes narrowed and the Computer let out a sigh of relief at having the attention directed off of it. "_You._"

"Now Gaz," Zim began, in a reasonable tone of voice.

"You knew about this?" She hissed, refusing to be reasonable. Gaz's hands curled into fists and Zim was sure if she wasn't wearing her necklace, a few flames would be escaping.

"Gaz-!"

"How could you not tell me?" She demanded, her foot stomping on the ground. "Did you not think your upcoming death would matter to me?"

Zim shook his head, bowing it in shame. "I couldn't know for sure. And it's my own fault. You needn't be involved with a failure."

"Idiot!" Gaz shouted, gripping him by the collar and bringing him towards her face. Zim stared at her with the appropriate amount of terror in his expression as she glared down at him. "I've _been_ involved with you. For _two years_. Two years, Zim. Don't you think I would've dumped you by now if I didn't care about your well-being?"

Zim's eyes drooped again. "I . . . You don't know what's happening to me. You don't understand!"

"Then _tell me_!" Gaz growled, releasing his shirt as he collapsed back onto the table. "How could I possibly hope to understand otherwise?"

Zim sighed. "Computer, help me sit up."

A few robotic arms descended, doing as Zim asked. Gaz swallowed the bile in her throat. Zim, asking for help. Sure, sometimes she offered her help and he accepted it but never had he done so looking as defeated as he did now. It made Gaz sick just thinking about it, let alone seeing it in person. She made a face of slight disgust but hid just before Zim looked up to see it.

"I'm an Invader, Gaz," Zim began, stoically. "Even if the Tallest didn't ever officially reinstate me as one, my PAK recognized that I was on a foreign planet, meaning I was on _some_ type of mission or another . . . So the Time Limit kicked in."

"Time Limit?" Gaz demanded, sitting back down in the chair. "Why haven't I heard about this before?"

"I wasn't sure that it applied, since I wasn't technically an Invader." Zim admitted. And each time he said that he wasn't an Invader, he visibly flinched, as some wounds never really heal, and this was one of his.

"Well . . . What's a Time Limit?" Gaz was beyond flustered as her brain adapted to the situation. Already she was becoming her normal monotonous and indifferent self once again, but looking at how pitiful Zim looked, maybe indifference wasn't what was needed in this situation.

Zim sighed, "A Time Limit is the amount of time an Invader- or any Irken really, I guess- has before they need to have completed their mission and return to the home planet."

Gaz's eyes widened, "So . . . Unless you go home, you're going to be deactivated?"

"No," Zim shook his head. "Returning home isn't required. Completing the mission is, however. I set my PAK up, upon arriving on planet Earth, to the mission of taking over. That's my personal mission, even if the Tallest never cared." He lowered his head again. "If I hadn't done it, then we wouldn't be having this discussion at all."

Gaz's eyes narrowed. "So how much time do you have left?"

"Computer?"

"Scanning . . . Three months." The computer replied, sounding slightly depressed. "Master-."

"That's all I needed to know," Zim interrupted, moving to get up. "Computer, begin preparations for self-destruct. Once I'm gone, I want you to-."

"What are you talking about!" Gaz demanded, gripping his shoulder and spinning him to face her. "You're not going anywhere!"

Zim was eying her like it was the last time he would see her again. He pushed Gaz away gently, "You should go."

Gaz stood as if she'd been struck, staring at his back as he slowly made his way to the computer, pulling up the settings she assumed.

He was really doing this.

He just giving up.

"So you're just going to quit?" Gaz growled, the fury in her tone stopping Zim for a moment. "Just like that?"

But it was only a pause, "What choice do I have? You shouldn't suffer with me, Gaz. Please, leave."

"You're unbelievable," She muttered, removing her necklace. "Zim, look at me."

He didn't. "I don't want to."

"Do it anyways!"

Zim hesitated but eventually dull red eyes looked at her, half closed and looking like he was in pain. "What?"

That one word stung, for some reason. The icy, dead way he said it. Like talking to a corpse.

Gaz ignored the chill and arched her fingers, flames appearing in her hands. Zim stared at her, dumbstruck with the terrible beauty of it all.

"Do you think I'd give up when all we have to do to keep you alive is so simple?" Gaz asked, through gritted teeth. She shook her head, eyes closed tight as if trying to form painful words carefully.

Zim finally seemed to redevelop a spine and glared at her. "I'm not going to ask you to take over your own kind, no matter how much you hate them. It's just culturally wrong. As an Irken, I was raised to respect my fellow Invaders and the Tallest, no matter what happened."

She relaxed with an exhale of breath, but her eyes did not open, and the balls of flame disappeared, acting like a thin glove instead of a weapon. "I'll help you anyways."

"No!"

"I'm not going to let you die!"

The words echoed through the lab, creating a deathly silence. They stood there, staring at one another. And Zim saw the most terrifying sight he had ever seen. A sight he had never believed anyone, let alone himself, would ever see in his lifetime.

Gaz's eyes were watering.

Sure, they weren't full-blown tears or anything, but the hint was there. But she looked strained, as if took effort to hold them back. But all Zim could really comprehend was that Gaz never cried. About anything. No matter what.

"Gaz?" Zim took a step towards her.

The flames disappeared as Gaz slipped her necklace back on, raising a hand to cover her face, as if some sort of glaring light was getting in her eyes. Zim became increasingly alarmed as she stumbled backwards a little.

"Fine." She said. But Zim wasn't quite sure what question she was agreeing to.

Gaz spun around on her heel and began leaving. And even though it was what Zim had ordered, he couldn't let her leave, for some reason. In a burst of strength Zim ran forward and caught her forearm, not saying a word, just holding onto it like a lifeline.

She stopped, didn't move, didn't turn to face him, still holding that arm in front of her eyes.

"You're . . . You're crying," Zim breathed, awestruck.

Gaz turned to face him, teeth gritted tightly and eyes still watering, but without any real tears. "No, I'm not."

"You lie!" Zim shrieked, pulling her towards him. He didn't realize how tight his grip was until she winced, slightly, but it was enough. No real _physical_ pain showed on her face but that little twitch was enough to make him loosen his hold on her, just slightly, enough to keep her from getting hurt. "I'm trying to help you! How can you be upset about that!"

Gaz glared at him. "And I'm not trying to be helpful?"

"You're doing it wrong!"

"Then how do I do this right?" Gaz demanded, shoving him off of her. "Leave? I was _trying_ to! So what do you want me to do, Zim? What do you want me to do?"

"Damn you!" Zim shouted, before he could stop himself. Gaz was about to punch him when she saw how hard he was shaking. For a moment she thought he was going to pass out again but then she saw the pain and frustration accompany that quivering. "This would be so much easier if . . .!"

He couldn't finish his sentence. But she knew it anyways.

"I'm not going anywhere," Gaz finally decided. "We're going to do this, Zim. And we're going to do this together."

"But-!"

"I don't give a _damn_ about humanity!" Gaz snapped, silencing his argument. "If you disappeared, Zim, I wouldn't . . . I don't know what would happen to me, but humanity would suffer far worse then if I had you around."

Zim gave her a look of monotonous disbelief. "And what about Dib and your father? What are you going to do about them, _hmm_?"

Gaz looked thrown for a split second before a calm overcame her face and stance. The slight gloss to her eyes faded away as she looked him in the eye, knowing full well what she was about to get herself into. "They'll be fine."

"You can't know that. In a war, there are many casualties, whether intentional or not. They could be killed quite easily by accident in the battle that the human race would surely put up. Humans are stubborn that way." He commented, eying her purposefully.

Gaz smiled, just slightly, at his joke. "So I've heard. But a war won't be necessary if we do this right."

"Oh?" Zim gave her a look that was obviously just humoring her. "And what did you have in mind?"

Gaz thought it was almost funny, looking at him. He still had his contacts on, but not his wig, and she was pretty sure he didn't notice. "You're an alien, Zim."

"Well spotted," He insisted, sarcastically. "I still don't see-."

"When was the last time you saw a trailer on TV, Zim? Humans are afraid of aliens."

Zim's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying if we're going to do this, _successfully_," Gaz approached him, peeling off his contacts with her fingers and showing them the lenses looking back at him. "You're going to have to come out of hiding*."

* * *

It had been years.

_Years_.

Two, to be exact. And the whole time?

Not a word from him.

And before that?

Not a word. Not a single word. How did one go from daily reports to nothing? They would never know for sure, because they didn't care enough. In truth, they had forgotten about him till that day.

_"You're so **tall**!"_

Oh yes, they still remembered that day. Quite well, actually.

_"You were betrayed because you were careless enough to treat not only** Zim**, but my **sahlm** badly as well."_

It was almost impossible to believe. And not a word about Zim's intervention on that day had been spoken, by order of the Tallest. It was the subject discussed only in the most private of moments.

_"My Tallest, I'd like to advise you as well, without the intention of insult."_

How could one puny little thing, once such a nuisance and nothing more then a pest_,_ become so strong? How had that rebellious little spaz come up with such a cunning plan of revenge and rescue? What had happened to the Invader wannabe twerp called Zim they knew of?

And then that alert had come in.

The alarm only the Tallest knew about, that questioned whether or not a Time Limit was to be placed on a PAK that had been long gone from Irk. All were under the assumption that the option was automatic, but it wasn't. The Tallest got to pick who was spared and who wasn't. After all, without a Time Limit, what was to stop those on missions from being lazy and lolly-gagging about instead of getting their jobs done?

And what an oddly painful decision it had been.

"I-It's Zim's," Purple pointed out, the two of them in the privacy of their meeting rooms, where only the Tallest were allowed to go.

Red stared at it in disbelief. The bolded name that had been on their minds as a drifting thought that surfaced when nothing else pressing was there to fill the space.

**ZIM  
Service: Food Drone ("Invader")  
Originally on: Foodcourtia  
Currently Residing on: Planet Earth  
Personal/Given Mission: Take Over Planet Earth, Enslave Human Race**

It hadn't been updated in a while. Normally, if the Irken had a partner, they'd be listed. But they didn't know the name of Zim's _sahlm_, just that he had one, somewhere.

And honestly? It was her that kept them from giving Zim a shorter Time Limit.

"She'll hate us," Red stated, casually.

But it still sort of bothered them both. This was confirmed as they shared a look, one that showed just how nervous they really were about this. Maybe even a little guilty. But it had to be done.

What use was having an Irken who did nothing for them?

Destroying Zim was a necessity, true. But that didn't mean they had to like it.

Red gulped, remembering a quote from one of Valkians as they'd interrogated him. The topic of Zim's _sahlm_ had just sort of come up, really, but the Tallest were so intrigued that it had kept that one alive. For about another day.

_"He said 'When revived, she can be quite the monstrosity'."_

And hadn't even the Queen said something about her as well?_  
_

_"He's even got a little sahlm to entertain him. Unfortunately, we only got a small demonstration of whatever fury attracted Zim to her but it was more then enough to prove she had spirit in her."_

Red glanced at Purple and had a feeling they were both remembering what the guard and she had said.

"You don't think she'd come after us . . . do you?" Purple questioned, uncomfortably.

They stayed quiet a moment before letting out nervous chuckles.

"Psh," Red insisted, "No way! No one's dumb enough to take on the Armada, especially not a _human_."

But he didn't sound so sure.

"Yeah, you're right," Purple agreed anyways, also not really feeling his confidence.

It was strange. Why did this bother them so much?

"Maybe we should give him some time, just in case," Purple suggested. "You never know, maybe she and Zim have something cooked up! Hehe. I'd hate to ruin that for them."

They knew it was unlikely and untrue.

But Red agreed anyways. "Yeah, right. How about three Earth-months, then?"

It had originally been three days, just enough time to get all his bearings together before he disappeared.

The change was drastic and generous, and they both knew it.

But neither of them would admit it. And neither of them could give a reason as to why they were doing this for Zim, of all people.

Deep down they knew, though.

Zim was tall. Not only that, but he showed tremendous potential. To not at least give him a chance now would be a mistake, and they knew it. It was a mistake they'd made before, though of course, nobody but them knew it, and they weren't about to offer proof of a flaw in the Tallests' ways of ruling over its people.

"Should we give him a Time Limit reminder, then? Just to let them know they should initiate now?" Purple asked.

Red swallowed, "Uh, yeah, sure. Just add that in there."

Purple did so, and they hit enter.

They both knew then that somewhere, whatever Zim was doing, he might just die anyways.

And surprisingly, they both found themselves hoping he didn't go just yet.

There was work to be done.

* * *

*I really wanted to put 'come out of the closet' just so Zim could get mad, but it wasn't the time for jokes.

PHEW. So much intensity and really, nothing happened. -_-

I'm doing it again, guys! Writing a whole lot when in actuality, the story moved forward very little.

Pity me! Pity me! *wails*

**Anyways, to clarify whats happening:** Zim now has 3 months to live unless he can take over the world and Gaz had pledged to helping him, no matter what the costs. Kind of endearing in a way, isn't it?

Till the next chapter!

And since this is the last installment, I will start responding to some of my reviews:

cheddarbiscuit

So good to see you are continuing this story line (I figured you were.)

I don't see the need for a time jump, really, but what ever, its your fic. As usual you have a nice voice and tone... I look forward to seeing this story through to the end, I am certain it will be a satisfactory light read just like numbers 1 and 2 were, and while I may not always review but I will read and...

... Wait. This is rated M.

... Oh shit.

**Echo: Yes, now one of the purposes of being older should make itself clear. Not only for Gaz's age, but I wanted to bring a few characters back who I needed (wanted) at a certain age, for the sake of appearances. And I needed at least Dib to be an adult for . . . legal purposes.**

**You'll see soon.  
**

**I'm not the kind of person to make hard-core kind of stuff though, it will not be excruciating details and positions and what not. Also, I literally burst out laughing reading this. Props to you.  
**

ShadowShades

Nice. enjoyed how you worked out the ending to Revenge of Player 2.

Looking forward to what this new story will bring. Very curious about Zim's ailment as well

**Echo: Yes, Zim's sudden on-struck illness was a frightening one, especially for Gaz. But you'll see why in the next chapter (and hopefully it's clear, because I wrote most of these chapters at like, midnight). Nice to know people are reading the whole story.  
**

fairychix26

Aw this is the best invader zim series ever sry for not reviewing before but i just was trying to catch up asap and today i did this is really good and i can't wait till the next chapter

Till Next Time Luv

Fairy Girl

**Echo: Yes, my frequent updates are hard to catch up on. Sometimes _I _even have to go back to re-read my story so my mind doesn't get all mixed up on the facts.**

**Thank you for taking the time to do so!**


	3. The Layout

Not much to say.

Third to the story!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3  
"The Layout"**

Gaz went home a while later, in a slight daze as she drove home.

Somehow she got there thought, to find that Skool hadn't been out yet. She almost considered going to pick him up but decided against it. That would just mean she'd have to answer his questions all the sooner.

Gaz didn't really know what to do besides already start planning what mess was to come.

She went downstairs, stole a large whiteboard and some Expo markers, and dragged them upstairs, setting up a station in her room. When Gaz was a child, she'd dreamed up plenty of schemes of world conquest.

So it was a good thing she'd kept all of them in a folder, otherwise she'd have to start from scratch.

Looking them over, Gaz saw that all of them really had potential. However, they were almost all made out of anger, and so now properly thought out. She had taped summaries of the plans on flash cards and made arrows from the different phases with the markers. Gaz didn't know how long she'd been working when there was knock on her door.

"Gaz?" Dib's muffled voice called through the door. "Gaz, you in there?"

She stepped back from her work, looking over the organized mess she'd made. She smirked a little, uncapped marker in her hand, arms crossed. It really did look like something you'd seen in a movie with a plan of world takeover.

"Yeah, Dib, I'm in here." She replied before he had a panic attack. "Where's Gir?"

"He took off for home at lunch, when I told him you and Zim had left."

Gaz's brow rose in confusion. He must've gotten home just after she'd left. "Alright."

"Gaz, what's going on? Why did you ditch gym?"

Immediately she looked down at herself and realized she was still wearing her P.E. clothes. Immediately she began stripping them off, irritated her normal clothes were still in her locker back at Skool. She'd probably end up breaking in to retrieve them over the weekend, just because she didn't want them sitting in the stinky locker room.

"Nothing, Dib." Gaz growled. "Now go away, I'm about to take a shower."

She eyed his shadow standing in front of her door. Then, with a dejected sigh, it disappeared along with his footsteps. Gaz glanced around her room at the pile of blank flashcards waiting to have new plan summaries written on them, the original documents organized into separate piles. She would've thought her room was going to end up a mess, but it appeared some part of her had been paying attention to cleanliness.

"I'll tell Zim," She muttered, throwing off the last of her clothes as she stepped into the shower. "I wonder what he's doing to plan for this."

* * *

Zim, actually, was doing the same thing as her.

Well, the same _system,_ really. Taking out old, unused plans and trying to combine them into a working, flawless plan. Zim was really trying to distract himself in his work and not think about what he was doing. That he was turning Gaz against her entire species to keep her alive.

"Master, are you sure about this?" His computer asked.

"Eh?" Zim asked, snapped out of his line of thought. "What did you say?"

"You're attempting to join nuclear fusion and Irken technology into one death ray," His Computer reminded him. "Are you sure you want to try this?"

"Um, yeah, just . . . do it. It's just a projection anyways."

"Well, okay then."

Zim watched the screen combine the two categories. However, the demo showed, to his disapproval, that the nuclear products the humans played with were far too unstable to be used in the precise and advanced Irken weaponry. The weapon spontaneously decomposed seconds after creation.

"Hm," Zim placed a hand to his chin.

It felt weird, he knew. That was why he was trying such strange, reckless ideas. He'd been playing human for far too long, stopping his attempts to take over the world altogether. Gaz was more of a distraction then she realized, but Zim knew that if he didn't have her help he'd probably be curled up in a ball, waiting to die.

And who knew the planet and its weaknesses better then the girl who was born looking for them?

Gir waddled into the room, still in his little boy costume. "Master?"

"What is it, Gir? I'm busy." Zim snapped, though he was actually glad of the distraction. He was running out of ideas quick. In a minute he'd probably end up calling Gaz or looking up ideas on the humans 'internet'.

Gir began shimmying out of his costume, leaving it on the floor as he bounded over to where Zim stood, looking up at him with wide, blue eyes. "Watcha doin?"

Zim sighed. "Planning Gir."

"For what?"

"We're going to try to take over the world again, Gir." Zim informed him, bluntly. "I'm planning."

Gir stared at him. Then suddenly he threw his arms up in the air, squealing extremely loud and running around in celebratory circles. "_**YAAAAAYYYY**_!"

"GAH!" Zim shouted. "Gir! Stop that!"

He began running in a circle, squealing, but at least not screaming. Zim shook his head, knowing that was probably as good as he'd get for a while. He had no idea that Gir would be so excited about continuing their attempt to conquer the world but he almost wished he hadn't told him now.

Zim turned his attention away from his stupid minion, back to the screen. At least the screaming had given him another idea.

"Computer, is it possible to control humans through certain wavelengths, or is that just a myth?"

* * *

Gaz woke up the next morning, surrounded by papers.

She huffed, blowing now dry hair out of her face and realizing she'd fallen asleep reading one of her ideas. She pulled the crumpled piece of paper out, scanning it with her eyes and grabbing a pen.

It was just kind of implied that Gaz would be working on this crap all day. When she was a child, the ways to pull the rug out from under the human race had seemed to obvious and simple. Now she needed a whole a plan to do so though.

The starting point for world conquest was obvious. The U.S. had the most advanced nuclear weaponry, second being Russia. After that they'd go after Japan and then the U.K. Once those four were under their control, the rest of the world would have to surrender because of sheer man-power.

"Zim needs to learn to speak Russian and Japanese," Gaz muttered, frowning. "Some of the two hardest languages to learn. And I guess that means I have to learn it to." She sighed, lifting her wrist and dialing on her watch. "This is just great."

It rang a few times. Then a tired-looking image of Zim appeared, scowling.

"I would've thought this would be easier, wouldn't you?" He asked, sarcastically.

She smirked. "Glad to see we're both in such cheery moods. I've got news for you."

"Oh?" His antenna perked up slightly. "And what would that be?"

"You're going to need to learn two languages." Gaz informed him. "The four sections of the Earth that hold the most power are the ones we're targeting first. The U.S. has the most nuclear fire power, which is why we're targeting this area first. After that we're going to Russia, then Japan, and lastly to the U.K. After that the rest of the world should follow, especially when they become aware that aliens are running things."

"Two languages . . . I should have that finished within a few hours." Zim said, calmly. It was nice to know which steps needed to be taken next.

Gaz's brow rose. "A couple of hours?"

"I can find the information and download it on my PAK." Zim informed her with a wave of his hand. "It's nothing. However, I was considering what you said about an alien being the face of the takeover."

Gaz's brow rose. "What about it? Paranoia and fear are the best ways to get people to submit to a new, foreign power."

"If your face shows up with me at the first wave of the invasion, no one will be properly convinced." Zim insisted with a scowl. "As much as I'd like you with me for the first part-."

"It wouldn't be realistic enough," Gaz finished in stoic agreement. "You're right. It makes sense."

"So after Phase 1 of whatever plan we come up with, Phase 2 will involve retrieving you in a believable manner." Zim informed her. "I've been doing some research on how humans think of alien activity. I find the easiest solution to our problem is using you as acting sacrifice. We'll just have to make a part of Phase 1 putting you in a light that gives you the power to make a worthy sacrifice in the eyes of the general population."

"Makes sense," Gaz agreed. She smirked. "So does that make me a part of the rebellion, then?"

"You'll temporarily be on your brother's side instead of mine. Doubtless he'll be creating one. You'll just have to be a little actress for a while, pretend to be heartbroken and bitter about my sudden devotion to my original mission until I come to retrieve you."

"Sounds like we've got the makings of Phase 2," Gaz agreed, smiling. "You'll have to conquer at least U.S. before you come and get me, though. And we'll have to be careful. I don't want my family getting hurt."

"We'll figure out some type of tracking device to keep them away from any attacks I plant." Zim assured her. Then he threw back his head and laughed, making Gaz's brow raise. "It's almost amusing that the one who reinstates my motivation is a member of the race that I'm trying to conquer."

"Yeah, well, get used to not seeing me for a while then." Gaz stated, casually. "As soon as Phase 1 starts you're not going to see me again until you send out a transmission for your demands."

"True," Zim said, with a frown. "You're coming over to my base then, so I can spend as much time with you as possible before we become separated."

Gaz smirked. "Fine. We'll discuss the rest of the plans when we get back to your place then."

"Very well," Gaz agreed, rolling her eyes and looking back at her board. "I'll take a picture of my work so far and we'll make the adjustments to combine it with yours."

"Perfect," Zim practically purred. "Shall I pick you up or will your brother be dropping you off?"

"I'll get there, don't worry about it." Gaz insisted, waving a hand to dispel the concern. "It'll be a good opportunity to start dropping hints that you're acting weird."

"Why would you do that?"

"To add to the story that you've randomly started acting up again," Gaz replied. "See you in a bit, then?"

"Very well. See you soon. Oh, and Gaz?"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at his oddly sweet tone of voice. "What?"

"Please get dressed before you come over. As much as _I_ like the look, I'd hate for Dib to be asking you about why you're coming to my base in nothing but a towel. Till then."

And he hung up on her.

Gaz's eyes widened and she looked down at herself to realize she hadn't change into pajamas before she'd laid down to read. The towel was wrapped around her body but it had sagged a bit in her sleep, like a low top. But her hair was probably messy and her shoulders were revealed, an expanse of flesh Zim had a particular liking to.

"Figures he wouldn't tell me until our conversation was over," She muttered, getting out of bed and digging through her clothes drawer until she found something. Black pants and a strapless corset top.

If Zim was mentioning wanting to spend time with her before he couldn't see her again, it probably just wasn't for planning purposes.

"Dib!" She shouted, grabbing a jacket and shoving it over her arms. "I'm going to Zim's house!"

Gaz was old enough to drive herself. However, Dib didn't like her driving his car. It made him uncomfortable to think that his little sister was driving around with mobile weapons of destruction.

"I'll drive!" Dib shouted at once, jumping up from the couch and digging through his pockets for his keys.

Gaz made a face of disapproval, even though she knew very well she needed Dib to drive her, so she could start the preparations for Phase 1. "I'm 17, Dib. I'm going to turn 18 this year. I think I can drive myself."

"I'll drive you anyways!" He insisted, opening the door to house and motioning her towards the outside. "Think of it as quality time, Gaz."

"Time I don't want," Gaz grumbled, crossing her arms but leaving the house willingly enough. "You don't have to be so protective of me all the time, Dib. I can take care of myself easily enough."

"Hey, I'm just driving you to Zim's house." Dib defended, getting into the drivers seat and buckling his seat-belt. "Relax."

Gaz continued to look out the window, not answering. She kept her face thoughtful as Dib started the car, pulling out. She knew very well that if she sat in silence, forlornly looking out into nothing, Dib would ask if something was up.

And that was just what he did.

"Gaz, is everything okay?" He asked, glancing repeatedly from the road to her. "You look off."

"Hm?" She asked, as if being pulled from thought. Her eyes narrowed but she didn't put in that real irritation, and she knew Dib would notice. "I'm fine, Dib. Nothings wrong."

Dib frowned. "Aw come on, Gaz. I know you better then that. Tell me what's bugging you."

She snorted, "It's nothing _you_ need to be concerned about. You wouldn't care anyways."

"Is it Zim?"

Gaz didn't answer, knowing her silence would be answer enough.

"What's he doing?" Dib's tone of voice took a turn for the stern, parental sort of attitude, like she knew it would. "He's not trying to pull anything on you, is he? I'll kill him if he is, Gaz, you just need to say the word and I will!"

She almost laughed at how easy it was to predict his moves. But Gaz didn't, sighing in irritation and shooting him a look. "He's no doing anything, Dib. Zim has just been . . . I don't know, acting weird lately."

"Weird?" Dib's intrigue wasn't of concern to his siblings relationship. She could hear the paranormal investigator shining through in his voice. "Weird how?"

"Well not that _you_ care," She hissed, looking back out the window. "But something seems a bit off with him. He's just been spending any time without me in his lab. I know he is. Gir has been complaining about it."

"Are you going over to ask him about it?"

"The way I see it, it's not really my problem, so long as it doesn't effect me." She replied, folding her arms behind her head casually. "I don't really spend a lot of time with him in the lab anyways."

Dib wasn't listening anymore and she knew it. Gaz had baited him, set up the perfect trap, and he'd snatched it up so easily it was almost funny. As soon as her brother heard that Zim was acting funny, he'd be prepared for the worst.

And ready to protect his little sister as soon as things went wrong.

Gaz knew that for their plan to work, Dib would need to be set up on the defensive, to ensure there would be a rebellion.

It was funny how large a part he was playing in a plan to take over the world.

The rest of the car ride was in silence. Gaz never made any effort to break it and for once, neither did Dib. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, she saw his face riddle with suspicion as the paranormal investigator in him began to surface. He pulled up the car to the curb and Gaz saw him glare at the green house, as if it had done him some sort of insult. Gaz smirked when her back was too him, opening the door.

Damn, she was good.

"Bye, Dib!" Gaz called, with a wave over her shoulder as she approached the house. "See you sometime later!"

"Uh, bye Gaz!" Dib called, half-heartedly. She could hear the hesitation in her brother's voice, like he didn't want her in that house. But he knew he could do nothing about it.

Gaz heard him drive only after she'd opened the door that opened upon a scan of her hand on the door knob. She rolled her eyes and entered the house, shutting the door behind her to find the living room deserted.

"Must be in the lab," She muttered to herself, hugging the jacket a little tighter around herself. It was abnormally cold in Zim's house and while she wasn't going to question it, she wasn't going to let herself freeze to death either.

Not surprisingly, the elevator ride was uneventful. However she did notice the farther down she went, the colder the air was. Gaz frowned, wondering if it had anything to do with Zim's PAK.

When the doors opened, she immediately saw something hurtling at her. Instinctively she caught it in both hands and held it before her for examination, slightly flustered but definitely surprised.

Gaz scowled upon seeing what had _lunged_, no been tossed, at her. "Gir!"

"Hi Gazzy!" Gir replied, being held upside-down, but not seeming to mind in the least.

At the nickname she scowled and chucked him over her shoulder, hearing a satisfying slam as he hit the elevator walls.

Exiting the elevator she saw Zim, standing in front of his large computer screen, looking at her with disapproval. "Must you attempt to break my machinery with my minion's head?"

"Yes, yes I do," She retorted, sarcastically, still keeping her arms crossed tightly around herself as she approached him. Of course, it was all written in Irken, so she couldn't understand a word of it. "Hm. This is irritating."

"What?" Zim asked, looking at her with curious red eyes.

Gaz jerked her chin towards the foreign lettering, not wanting to uncross her arms and let the small warmth she had escape. "I can't read of word of this and I see it rather often. You think I would've picked up on a bit of it by now." She turned her head to see Zim giving her an unfamiliar look. "What?"

"Hmm," He droned, nodding his head as if coming to agreement with something. "I'll just have to teach you then. We've got about a week to learn the basics of it and you're unnaturally smart. I'm sure you'll be able to learn it within that time. It's nothing but memorizing the characters as I've come to see that Irkens and humans use the same form of grammar in their speaking and so their writing."

Gaz blinked away her surprise before shrugging. "It couldn't hurt. We could inadvertently communicate that way, you send antagonistic notes to Dib's rebellion in Irken and I, being the only one to be able to read it, could get messages from you. Of course, I couldn't respond to them, but it would probably make you feel better somehow."

Zim smirked at her. "You mean make _you_ feel better?"

She snorted. "You're the one who demanded I come over here to spend time with you."

"And I heard no objections from you about it." Zim retorted, obviously pleased with himself at finding a good comeback. "Now, what ideas have you come up with?"

"I was thinking about what you said about your face being the head of the invasion?"

"Yes?" Zim's eyes narrowed, for whatever reason.

Gaz locked eyes with him, arms crossing tighter. "You're going to need another one."

"I thought we already decided I'd steal you away during Phase 2?" Zim insisted, surprised. But he seemed optimistic about it. "However, if you changed your mind and _want_ to start off Phase 1 with me-."

"No, it's not that." Gaz interrupted quickly, shaking her head. "There should be more then one alien face, I was thinking, otherwise people might just think you're one lone force. Something easily beatable. The fear factor will disappear."

"Yes, _and_?" Zim pressed, starting to become nervous.

Gaz took a breath, knowing he wasn't going to like her idea. She could already see it in his apprehensive eyes.

"I was thinking you should try and get in touch with the Tallest again."

* * *

AHAHAHAHA

Horrible cliff-hanger, I know.

But I'm not sorry! Nope!

Not one bit!

So the next chapter will, yes, involve the Tallest.

That is actually something I didn't anticipate but well, Gaz and Zim need them or the plan wouldn't work.

There wouldn't be enough man-power behind the whole thing, you know?

Well, I'm giving too much away.

Till the next chapter! 


	4. Contacting the Leaders

So, the Tallest are finally involved again! Sure, something I didn't plan on till later but, oh well.

Yay!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 4  
"Contacting the Leaders"**

Zim was shaking with terror, staring at a screen of static.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Zim, if you can't do this-."

"Zim can do anything, _Gaz_!" He shouted at once, angrily. He gave her an indignant look before turning back to the screen. "I just . . . I don't think we look proper for royalty, you in a sweatshirt and me in nothing but a standard invader uniform."

"First off, you're reinstating your duties as an Invader, so it's perfectly fine." Gaz insisted, sitting behind him, out of view of the screen. "And if you're worried about the sweatshirt . . ."

Zim turned around when she trailed off and his eyes widened. His eyes scanned her now bare shoulders and nearly whimpered. It wasn't fair for her to be pulling these kinds of stunts when he was vulnerable!

She saw the accusation in his eyes and smirked. "Better now?"

He scowled. "You're ruthless."

"Thank you. Now _call them_."

"_Hmph_! Bossy little . . .!" Zim grumbled under his breath, dialing the numbers. His finger hovered over the call button.

Should he really-?

"Zim!" Gaz snapped, impatiently.

Without another thought he pressed down. Immediately afterwords Zim squealed in terror, antenna flat against his head as his system tried to re-find the link he hadn't used in so long.

He relaxed, however, when there was a gentle stroke on his antenna, a finger curling the end of one around it. Zim practically purred in content and at once his body lost any stiffness in it as he melted at the touch.

"There ya go," Gaz approved, removing her hand slowly, to ensure his feelings of content didn't disappear. "Much better. Now you can at least _pretend_ to act like a sane Invader."

Zim smiled gratefully (but arrogantly) down at her, using the few inches he had on her to his advantage. "Acting won't be necessary. Zim is_ perfection_, for the moment."

"Yeah, cause I'm here," Gaz retorted, with a smirk of her own. "Now seriously, calm down. You know what you're going to ask for. It's nothing to worry about."

"Thus concluding the needs for Phase 1." Zim amended, curtly. But he leaned down and more quietly added, "And when this is over I'm taking you to my room so we can finally get that alone time I was thinking of."

"Oh? And what was that?" Gaz asked, sarcastically.

Before Zim could reply, the computer announced a connection had been made. At once Zim tensed and gulped but Gaz nudged him, backing off. She waited in the background, only there if needed. Gaz gave him a reassuring smile before inclining her head towards the ground in slight submission. Zim had actually argued against having her in the background instead of at his side but she insisted this was all about appearances. If he didn't make a good impression as a leader, no, an _Invader_, they might as well quit now and spend the time they had left together wisely.

"There's no guarantee they'll even answer," Zim insisted, pessimistically.

Gaz snorted. "To hear from an unnaturally tall Irken who made quite the impression the last time they saw him? They'll definitely answer, if not out of respect, just out of curiosity to what you want."

"Yeah, that's _. . . great_." Zim muttered, scowling.

Gaz's eyes narrowed behind him, head lifting towards him. "What did you say?"

The phone connected.

Immediately Gaz had her head bowed again and Zim forced his face into a stern, respectful expression.

The Tallest stared at him.

Red recovered first, clearing his throat. But the stunned and curious expression in both of their eyes never left.

"Zim," Red said, lifting his chin ever so slightly to express his superiority. "I have to say, I didn't expect a call from you today."

Gaz noticed the attitude at once, peering from under her lashes. This need to show they were superior to Zim. They were threatened by him, his height, his last accomplishments. It was almost amusing. But it was just an advantage to Zim. If the Tallest respected (because they wouldn't feel so threatened if they didn't) Zim enough, then they would definitely grant his request, if Zim handled the situation correctly.

"My apologies for not getting back to you in so long, My Tallest," Zim said, humbly, bowing to them. "Our last encounter was brief, and I left you with an improper amount of information. To be honest, I simply did not know how to get back into contact with you without being a bother."

Gaz was pleased. If Zim showed submission it would make them more comfortable and less wary. Maybe he knew that, but by the way he handled himself, she could tell, wasn't just out of manipulative purposes. Zim really did respect his leaders enough to bow to them without another thought.

Huh. Weird.

"It's no trouble at all," Purple replied, also playing up his 'leader' card. He looked rather haughty, just like his companion. "We've been meaning to get a hold of you anyways, actually."

Zim stood up, surprised. And truthfully, so was Gaz. "M-_Me_, My Tallest?"

Red seemed amused, smirking. "Yes, _you_, Zim."

Purple chuckled. "Don't act so surprised. After your last encounter with us, we obviously have questions."

"Oh, y-yes, of course." Zim stuttered, composing himself. "Ask away, My Tallest."

Purple opened his mouth, obviously jumping on the opportunity, when Red slapped his clawed hand over his it, staring at something, lips slightly parted in some form of awe or shock.

"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Purple demanded, shoving the hand away.

Red pointed. "Whose _that_?"

Zim was immediately aware who they were talking to and turned to see Gaz, actually with her back to them and looking up at the ceiling. Zim, confused, followed where she was looking with his eyes.

"Huh," he said, aloud. "Wonder how that balloon got up there."

Gaz gave him a look.

"Gir," the said, in unison.

Then Zim cleared his throat, bowing a little once again and holding his arm out to Gaz. She approached him from behind with grace, keeping her head inclined slightly.

"My apologies for not doing so sooner, My Tallest, but allow me to introduce my _sahlm_, Gaz." Zim said with grandeur, standing straight when Gaz had come to stand by his side.

She bowed fully, bringing her head back up with a suppressed smirk. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Highnesses."

Gaz really had no idea what to call them. To say 'My Tallest' would be rather odd, because, they had no hold over her. She didn't grow up with them like Zim did, had no prior experience on what to call them. She felt like referring to them as royalty was appropriate enough anyways. She knew Irkens treated the Tallest like gods, but Gaz wouldn't know what to call a god, either.

"'Your High-ness-es'?" Purple questioned, splitting the word into three rough syllables.

Zim smiled at his leaders unfamiliarity at the human culture. "It's the highest form of respect from a human, My Tallest, I assure you."

Gaz smiled as well, "My apologies, I really have no idea what to call you besides what my species call their highest of powers."

The two shared a look before bursting out into laughter, eyes closed as they chuckled heartily. Gaz shot Zim a smirk, knowing full well that she was winning them over by her amusing, human ways.

"Then you may continue to refer to us as you're used to," Purple assured her, looking down kindly.

Red, however, was examining her. "Well, Zim. She's no Irken female, but there's definitely something about her."

"Yes, you've got to see her in action before you make a final evaluation, My Tallest," Zim joked, respectfully. "Why, just last year she sent one of her species into a permanent state of instability for crossing her. It's rather amusing to see how many ways she's figured out how to break the psyche of the human race."

"Fascinating," Red admitted, staring at Gaz, who was smirking once again. Then he too smirked. "Well, we'll just have to see that sometime then, now won't we?"

"That's actually part of the reason why I called, My Tallest," Zim admitted, artfully changing the subject. "I wanted to discuss with you the invasion of Earth, if you were up to hearing about it."

At once the Tallest were wary, on guard. Gaz saw it.

"Zim brought it to my attention the other day, that Earth really was just a nuisance without a purpose." Gaz said, casually. "It has plenty of workers with no purpose. Slaves just waiting for masters to serve."

"Those masters being you, My Tallest." Zim added, easily. "And even if they aren't fit for being your personal slaves, I'm sure they'd be more then capable of doing some form of labor or another."

"It all sounds rather useful," Purple admitted, giving Red a look.

"However," Red continued, elaborating. "What are you going to need from the Armada to take over Earth? No offense, Zim, but you've been on Earth for quite a while and haven't conquered it yet. Why should we believe you can do so now?"

"If you'll forgive my lapse in capabilities, I can assure you, My Tallest, that this new plan I've concocted is foolproof, and only requires a few faces for assistance in tricking the humans into believing that they're our priority."

"Faces?" Purple demanded, intrigued. "You mean you just need Invaders to hang around for a while and not really do anything?"

"For the most part, our plans are planned out. But if you're worried about them not being used properly, we do have a few small details we've yet to completely work out. It's not like I require the best of the best, though, really. Just, well, like I said, some bodies to convince them that it's not one lone alien involved. Humans have a rather surprising, intense fear of aliens or beings with more power then themselves. Two or three alone is bound to shake them into bending to our will."

"Hm . . . Give us a minute to consult, Zim. We'll put you on hold and bring you back when we've made our decision." Red decided, after sharing a look with his fellow Tallest.

"Right," Purple agreed. "Then we'll decide on whether or not to assist you in your plan for this world's domination."

"Of course," Zim bowed, "Thank you for your consideration, My Tallest."

The transmission changed into an image of the Irken Symbol, asking for them to Standby and wait until the call was continued.

Zim let out a deep breath, clearly having held in his nerves. "That was easily the most terrifying thing I've ever done."

Gaz snickered. "Well it's not over yet. With your luck, they'll probably want you up there in person."

Zim groaned, "That is _not_ amusing."

She continued to laugh. "Well at least my introduction went well. Better then I expected, actually."

"'_Your Highnesses_'?" Zim mocked, smugly.

Gaz scowled at him, no longer amused. "Shut up."

It was Zim's turn to snicker at his partners' discomfort. It didn't last long though, as the beeps warned the two that the Tallest were reconnecting their transmission with them. Immediately both placed on their serious facades once more, Gaz keeping her head inclined towards the floor and Zim keeping his arms folded behind his back and posture straight. Together they looked like a formidable team.

Hopefully the Tallest would think the same thing.

They seemed pleased when they came onto the screen, but that could mean anything. The Tallest were known for being cruel, but also known for making favorable decisions as well. Nothing about their smug demeanor could give them any hint of their choice.

"We've decided," Purple announced. "That we're going to help you out."

"On a few conditions though, Zim." Red said, severely, eyes narrowing.

Zim nodded hurriedly, "Yes, of course. Anything you ask, My Tallest! Thank you!"

"Don't thank us just yet, _Invader_ Zim." Red warned, amused by his gratitude. "You haven't heard our conditions yet."

Zim stared in awe at his new title, which would be official now. But he quickly shook it off, nodding respectfully and trying to control himself. "Oh yes. What is it you wanted from Zim?"

"Two things, really. Nothing big." Red assured him.

"First off," Purple intervened, pointing directly at Gaz. Both Zim and she jumped a bit in surprise, Gaz feeling rather nervous. "We want to meet your _sahlm_ in person at the earliest convenience to your plan. We're assuming _she_ won't be involved in the first part, correct?"

Gaz was truly surprised, and, dare she admit it, a bit impressed. She'd taken Zim's rulers for idiots (though she'd never tell him that) but it seemed they weren't as dumb as she had thought they were.

"Correct," Zim agreed, glancing at Gaz from the corner of his eye.

"You'd have to be with her, of course," Red added, smiling suspiciously kindly at Gaz. "No offense, but we can't have a human running around the Armada without an escort."

"You wouldn't mind meeting us in person, would you, Gaz?" Purple questioned, in that same sort of manner as his counterpart.

"It would be an honor," Gaz replied, with a realistic smile as she inclined her head towards them. In truth, she wasn't looking forward to the meeting. It would probably be a test of capability and skill, an attempt to break her. The Tallest would probably want to make her prove herself.

Well fine then. She'd make them pay for doubting her eventually.

"Your back-up will be delivered within a few days," Red informed, serious once again. "We're currently in a war with a few joined planets, so we can only give you a couple at most."

"Was there anything else you needed, or was that it?" Purple asked, casually now.

Zim considered this. "I'll ask your back-up bring with them the latest in mind-control devices. Other then that, I don't believe we'll be needing anything."

"Well, let us know if you do, then." Purple seemed rather more pleased then Red, or he was just used to expressing his emotions more. He smiled down at Gaz once more, looking a bit too eager. She nearly scowled at him but she wanted to stay on their favorable side, and so did not. "We'll also require frequent updates from you about your progress, since we've become aware of your_ . . . condition_ and would like to ensure you're making due time."

Zim flinched at the term. Gaz's hand just curled into a fist behind her back, itching to punch something. Preferably Purple.

"Yes, that's fine," Zim agreed, hasty to get off the subject of his timely destruction. "I'll contact you as soon as Phase 1 of the mission starts."

"Which will be when, exactly?" Red questioned, one antenna rising.

"Within the next three days," Gaz answered for him, as she hadn't gone over that answer with Zim yet. "Unfortunately I won't be able to meet you until after Phase 2 begins, which we're unsure when that will start."

"She'll be uninvolved once my back-up arrives until then," Zim agreed.

The Tallest seemed disappointed.

"Well, that's too bad," Red said, looking slightly bitter at this revelation.

Purple, too, looked depressed. He sighed, smiling. "I guess we'll just have to wait until then. Try to make things hasty then, won't you? We're truly curious to meet you, little humanoid."

Zim knew at once the Tallest did not know of Gaz's short temper, and so saved them by putting his hand, out of view, over Gaz's, squeezing it tightly in warning, to ensure she controlled herself.

"I'm looking forward to the meeting as well," Gaz lied, still smiling. Zim could feel how tight her fisted hand was and it was making him nervous. But her face gave nothing away, as did his. The Tallest were completely unaware that they were walking on thin ice.

Zim saluted, standing erect (as if he wasn't already), "Until then, My Tallest. Invader Zim, out."

"Good luck on your mission then, Invader Zim." Red said, nodding at them. "We look forward to see you finally complete your Personal Mission."

"Transmission over." Red said with finality, nodding towards the Control Irkens off-screen.

The call was then ended.

At once Gaz let out an aggravated noise, turning away from the screen. Immediately Zim knew he was in for it.

"You know they only want me there to satisfy their curiosity, right?" She demanded, eyes burning with fury. "What proof do I owe them?"

"Relax, Gaz." Zim insisted with a sigh, gripping her shoulders. "It will just be a chance to prove yourself and inflict fear into the hearts of more people, won't it?"

She huffed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

Zim seemed pleased, hugging her around her waist, pressing her tightly against him. "Good. Now, if you don't express any disagreement, I would like to take you upstairs."

Gaz's brow rose, "For what? All the work is down here."

"I wasn't thinking of _that_ kind of work." Zim insisted, with a sly smirk. "Zim was thinking more along the lines of more . . . _intimate_ time consumption."

Gaz slowly became aware of his intentions and rolled her eyes. She grabbed his wrist, dragging him towards the hidden staircase. "Come on."

Zim's smirk turned completely devious then, snickering silently as she forced him to follow her, though, he really had no objections to this. The wall opened to reveal what they were looking for, the staircase that led directly to Zim's room.

And in the corner, Gir finally broke free of the duct-tape that had cocooned his little body, to keep him quiet during the call to the Tallest. He squealed in triumph and then removed his pig from his head, swinging it around as he did something similar to a cowboy dance.

* * *

More tricks in the next chapter.

**I just want you all to know, until I SAY SO, Gaz is a virgin, and she and Zim had never done anything more then make-out.**

And Zim's a virgin too.

Just thought I'd make sure that was in there, so no one thought they were going upstairs to have sex or nothing.

They ain't doing that, but this is rated M, so you'll get there eventually.

JUST BE PATIENT, DAMN IT.

And the Tallest will be more involved then I originally thought they were going to be. In my head, originally, they were just sort of involved because they called like, halfway through Phase 2 and that was their little guest star spot kind of thing.

Who will be Zim's back-up? You'll find out (although I'm sure most of you already guessed D:)!

Anyways.

Till the next chapter!


	5. Last Days of Normalcy

Yes, the last day.

If you think it's moving quickly, you've got the wrong idea for the main plot. Sometimes it's not about getting power.

It's about how to keep it.

Especially from those who oppose you.

HAPPY PYRO(MANIAC) DAY! (4th of July)

Enjoy! :D

* * *

**Chapter 5  
"Last Days of Normalcy"**

Dib had waited up for Gaz.

She came home in the afternoon, dropped off by Zim. He peeked out the window, through the curtains. Some might call that a bit creepy and, well, kind of disturbing he was spying on his little sister's love life but Dib thought of it as protecting her.

To his dismay, Zim had on his helmet, once again having taken the Voot Runner in motorcycle form, so Dib could not see his expression. However, Gaz took off her helmet and handed it back to him, so he saw the confusion and suspicion riddled on her face.

She turned to Zim, speaking words and tilting her head to the side, asking him a question. To Dib's ever-climbing suspicions, Zim looked away from her, his head directed towards the ground, avoiding whatever question had been asked of him. Gaz glared at him further and spun around, obviously irritated, heading towards the house. Zim watched her go until she reached the door and then drove off.

Pretending he hadn't been watching, Dib ducked away from the curtains, pretending to be paying attention to the television. The door slammed open and Dib jumped, turning to stare at his sister. Gaz looked absolutely furious as she took her coat off, draping it over her shoulder as she began her ascent up the stairs.

"_Stupid, cryptic little_ . . .!" Gaz was grumbling, angrily.

Obviously something about Zim had upset her. And normally Dib would've left it alone, but his paranormal and brotherly instincts were getting the better of him. Not to mention his curiosity.

So Dib dared go where no one had gone before.

"G-Gaz, are you okay?" Dib asked, nervously, swallowing his fear.

Gaz stopped what she was doing immediately and gave him a look, eyes narrowing. "What's it to _you_?"

Dib sat up, letting the big-brother side of him take over for a bit. "You seem upset. I just want to make sure you're okay."

She eyed him suspiciously. Then, surprisingly, she got back down the stairs and sat next to Dib, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and sitting down with a _"hmph!"_ noise.

"Guess I was wrong about Zim's attitude not being my problem," Gaz said, glaring at the coffee-table like it had done her some injustice. "Everything was fine until he got this message on his watch and left the room for a while. I wouldn't have cared, but when he came back, he refused to tell me what it was about! Like I'm going to do anything about it!"

She let out an aggravated noise and Dib swallowed nervously. But he forced himself to be brave and continue to dive into the world that was Gaz's rather strange relationship. "That's just . . . not . . . good."

He wanted to smack himself in the face. Gaz, however, seemed too irritated to care.

"And then he has the nerve to tell me, also without explanation, that he's not going to be able to see me tomorrow."

Immediately Dib was afraid. His blood ran cold and he paled, making him look ill. Gaz glanced at him from the corner of her eye and seemed to notice, turning to look at him fully with a brow raised.

"Are you coming down with something?" She questioned. "You look like you're about to barf. I swear Dib, if you barf on me-!"

"No, no, I'm fine." He insisted, pulling at his collar as the blood rushed back to his formerly white face. "I-I'm sorry if you aren't getting along. Anything I could do to help?"

Dib was proud. He'd barely winced at his offer.

Gaz's brow rose suspiciously again, eyes narrowing and lips pressing tightly together in deliberation.

Finally though, she shook her head. "No, not really. I guess I'll just have to deal with him the day _after_ tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," Dib said, watching her stand up. "But, you know I'm always here for you, right Gaz?"

Dib was worried, to be honest. If Zim really was up to something, which it really was looking like it at this point with all this suspicious activity Gaz was just blowing off, Gaz might end up getting hurt. Physically, emotionally, or maybe both. And Dib didn't want her withdrawing into herself because she felt like she had no support on the outside. Sure, their dad wasn't around a lot, but Dib wanted her to know that at least _he_ would help her through thick and thin, no matter what.

If only he knew what was really going on.

Gaz smirked at him, but it didn't have that usual cynical attitude behind it. In fact, it actually sort of looked . . . kind.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "Thanks, Dib."

He positively beamed, "Sure! No problem, Gaz."

She rolled her eyes, amused, hurrying up the staircase. When she was out of vision, Dib sighed, content with his actions as he folded his arms behind his head and relaxed. At the very least, he'd have his sister and she would have him.

Gaz locked her door upon entering her room, a habit she'd have to get used to. If Dib wandered into her room and saw her plans, he would freak out and never forgive her. This all had to be done carefully and skillfully.

She sighed, sitting on her bed, disheartened. The last remaining hours she had spent with Zim had been intense, needy. But never once had her clothes been removed, surprisingly. But then she really began to think about it and blushed at the conversation they'd joked about before she'd left.

* * *

Gaz had been fixing her hair in the mirror (so Dib wouldn't notice its disheveled appearance), smirking at Zim in the mirror. "You know, we've been dating for two years. I would've thought you'd have tried something by now."

"Tried something?" Zim asked, curiously, a brow rising as he lay content on the bed, on his back. "What do you mean?"

Gaz turned fully around, smirking at his ignorance. "Most men on Earth would've tried to . . . _mate_ with their girlfriends by now." Gaz informed him, trying to be delicate about the subject she had just recently become comfortable with talking about. She'd known it would come up eventually.

Zim made a face, confused. "I was under the assumption Earth customs required your odd form of unity before mating was allowed. What is it meant to be called, um . . . mare-ee-osch?"

"Marriage, Zim. _Marriage_." Gaz gave him a look of disbelief. "You know about marriage but not the most common terms of mating?"

Zim looked back at her, obviously surprised. "Should I not know about marriage, then?"

She eyed him, as if not sure what to make of the situation. Then she just shook her head and sat back down on the bed, snorting in amusement. "You know, I guess it doesn't matter."

"Oh," Zim seemed pleased. "But, then, do humans mate _before_ marriage, then?"

"Some of them, yes, like prostitutes, remember? You know about _them_." Some people would've found it weird Zim knew about prostitutes and not about human's sex-habits, but really, Gaz wasn't surprised by any of his knowledge limitations anymore.

"I always assumed that it was acceptable because of it being a job." Zim admitted, dumbfounded by this new information. "And honestly, a part of the reason I've never done so is because I'm not sure how a mating between us would go about."

Gaz's brow rose. "Are you questioning our physical compatibility?"

Again, one would think this conversation would be more of an awkward and touchy subject to discuss. But whoever thought that would be wrong, since Gaz and Zim are far more (irrationally) comfortable with one another then the average couple who've been with one another for 58 years.

"That, and I was wondering how it would affect you." Zim admitted, running a hand through her hair to fix a strand she had missed. "My system is more advanced than yours, and could probably handle it. But yours is so much more . . . _delicate_ then mine."

Gaz frowned, but he had a point. Then she smiled and held her arm out. "Do you want to take some blood and see?"

"Are you really that curious about it?" Zim asked, intrigued.

Gaz nodded. "If not just out of curiosity, I'd at least like to know if I could, just to bug Dib about it."

Zim laughed. "_Externally_ it's possible, if we're talking about . . . 'parts'. Irkens, however, aren't born with that piece of equipment, so to speak. In fact, similar to the human's_ despicable_ culture, it's actually a prideful thing to have one. You gain them with height, if that makes any sense. It's why the Invader uniforms are different from the Tallest. The Tallest, if you noticed, wear clothes that cover their nether regions while Invaders wear tight pants, or no pants at all, depending on their height. If they're short, there's nothing to cover. If they're slightly taller then average, there is something to cover, it's just, well-."

"In short supply?" Gaz offered, amused.

Zim grinned, "Yes. Extremely. In fact, I believe it's actually smaller then a human worm-baby's."

Gaz burst out laughing, snickering. "So then yours when you arrived . . .?"

Zim nodded grimly. "It was existent, at least. Now, however, it's far more prominent, which is why the alterations were made."

"Do Irkens get the same form of . . . _excitement_ down there as human males?" Gaz wasn't just being gross, she was genuinely intrigued. To discover Zim actually did have a penis (she really hated that word) was news to hers. She had never really cared if he did or not but this was just too weird (in a funny, ironic, good kind of way) to not know more about.

"Only when we allow ourselves to, on purpose, not randomly in a classroom or something like your disgusting hormonal young males," Zim insisted, making a face of disgust at the thought. "The very idea of doing something like _that_ against your will . . . It's positively horrifying."

Gaz had caught a few confusing words. "On purpose?"

"Meaning only when we're performing the act." Zim explained, kissing her chastely. "But we'll discuss this topic more at a later time. As much as I want to keep you here far longer, don't we have a brother of yours to fool?"

"Stop thinking about my brother while we're talking about your penis," Gaz ordered, resisting any form of amusement on her face for effect as she stood, looking at him through narrowed eyes.

Zim's own eyes widened to humongous size. It was very hard for Gaz not to laugh but it was worth it as Zim looked very much like he was going to be sick and his antennae wilted.

"That. Is. _**DISGUSTING**_!" He shrieked, paling as if he wanted to vomit. Gaz busted out laughing, unable to hold it in. Zim gave her a look of absolute revoltion and disapproval. "Ugh! Don't even _joke_ about that!"

* * *

Gaz, even just remembering that, began to snicker. But she quickly pushed those thoughts aside and slid the unnaturally small disk Zim had given her, no bigger then a quarter, into a slot she hadn't known about in her watch.

Tonight and tomorrow, she'd be learning about the characters of Irken and how to read them.

Tomorrow, Phase 1 would begin. Once Zim's back-up was updated on the plan, they'd start first thing in the morning. Gaz's job was to plant tracking devices on herself, her father, and her brother. Nobody else in the world did she give a damn about.

Zim already had the watch on her, but it was likely she'd be ditching it once Phase 1 began, for sentimental reasons, so Gaz decided to place her tracker on her necklace. Dib's was easy as well. She'd attached it inside his coat pocket, since he never took that dumb thing off. The _real_ problem was getting one onto her father. If she gave him something, then he would wear it for sure. But the problem was what she would give him that seemed realistic enough to wear.

Despite popular belief, Gaz was well aware that her father was a very sentimental person when it came to objects. Dr. Membrane didn't have the time to be around his kids often, but if some part of his kids could be around him, he'd keep it with him at all times. This had been discovered when Gaz had found a small rubber alien of Dib's he'd given Dr. Membrane when he was 3 was still kept in the pocket of his lab coat.

What was with her family and coats?

Well, it was for the better, then. It only made Gaz's job all the easier.

Gaz dug through her drawers until she found some wire and tools. Eventually she bent a catch in the mess of wire she created, with the intention of making it look like a star or something. It sort of did but it actually looked like some new planet or something. She placed the tracker in the catch, which was in the center, as if it was a jewel for decoration. Overall, if she'd really cared, she could've done something better but she didn't have the time for arts and crafts. She only had a limited time to learn another language, which was doable, but once this started she probably wasn't going to get another chance to look at them.

So at once Gaz went downstairs, mess in hand. Dr. Membrane was working from home today and Dib was already in his room, probably looking over his files about Zim again. Poor Dib.

He didn't stand a chance, but at least he would be alive when this was over.

Gaz went down emotionless into the lab, looking around until she saw the source of sparks, where her father was working on one thing or another. She couldn't care less but at least she'd located.

"Dad," Gaz said, sternly.

Dr. Membrane jumped and turned around, surprised. Gaz never came into the lab, it was always Dib. "Yes, daughter?"

Gaz, without any grace whatsoever, removed the thing from behind her back and held it out before him. Taking the hint, Dr. Membrane outstretched his hand in obvious confusion. Gaz dropped the thing in it.

"Here," She said, curtly. "I made that for you."

And then, without any explanation (as this was the quickest and most effective way to give a gift you had no reason for), Gaz turned and left the room rather quickly. Her father stared after her, she could feel it. Gaz rarely did anything for anybody, let alone give them a present. But she smirked upon hearing the slight sliding off something against cloth.

He'd put it in his pocket for safe-keeping.

She proceeded upstairs to Dib's room and forced her face to remain expressionless. If she seemed too anxious, Dib would think something was up. To her utmost relief, the tracker wasn't one of those stupid blinking lights. It was no bigger then a bead and had the same luster as one, meaning it was duller then a graveyard. It was also black, meaning it would blend.

"Dib!" She banged her fists a couple time on the door. "What are you doing?"

"Uh! One second!" He shouted through the door.

Gaz smirked at the sound of papers being hidden and things being moved around as Dib scrambled to hide the evidence he was investigating her boyfriend. She gave him a little bit of time before bursting in, unannounced.

This needed to be done correctly and realistically, otherwise, Dib would realize beforehand and get himself killed trying to avoid her help.

Dib spun around in his chair, a nervous grin plastered on his face, along with a sheen of sweat. Gaz gave him a suspicious look, approaching him slowly as he tried to hide some rather obvious papers behind his back.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, in a clipped tone.

Dib laughed uncomfortably, shifting to try to hide the papers more. "Uh, n-nothing! What did you want?"

Gaz continued to glare at him through narrowed eyes. "Dad put me in charge of dinner, so what do you want?"

"Whatever is good! Look, Gaz, this isn't really a good time-." Dib tried, shifting some more.

She advanced on him, reaching for the papers. Dib squealed and darted out of the chair, stumbling until he fell over. The papers flew under the bed, much to his relief. It was short lived though, as Gaz grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up by it.

"If you're doing something weird, Dib, I _swear_ I'll kill you." She growled, angrily. "I can handle Zim myself. You don't need to be meddling in it _that_ much!"

"I'm just trying to help!" He defended, whimpering.

She sighed, releasing him. Dib nearly tripped again but Gaz grabbed his coat, steadying him. Dib watched her eye the disheveled trench coat, frowning as she worked to remove the creased.. Her hands went inside his coat, smoothing along the creases and flattening them between her hands. Dib swallowed nervously, uncomfortable at her rather motherly touch.

"I appreciate your concern," Gaz mumbled, obviously reluctant to admit so. "But I don't want you getting involved, Dib. Not until I ask you too, okay?"

Dib seemed surprised at how calm she was being about him sticking his nose into business. It worried him. Was Gaz really so bothered by her own thoughts about what Zim was doing that she was too distracted to be properly mad at Dib? That was a frightening thought. A world where Gaz was too busy to be mad. Dib nearly shivered at how unnatural that would be.

"_Okay_?" She tried again when he didn't answer her, jerking him a bit, the hardness seeping back into her voice.

Dib snapped out of his stupor and nodded, removing her hands. "Yeah, I get it. I'll keep out until you need me."

Gaz nodded, stepping away. "Does pizza sound good to you?"

"Yeah, sure," Dib agreed, fetching the papers from under his bed.

"Okay." So he didn't see Gaz smirk as she eyed him from the door, shutting it behind her.

For those of you who weren't paying attention, Gaz did manage to slip the tracking device on him, without Dib noticing whatsoever. Like she'd _really_ fix the crease in someones clothes just for the sake of kindness, after she had been the one to bunch it up. Psh!

To easy.

Dib turned away from the door, after it shut.

"I'm sorry, Gaz," He said to himself, getting back on the computer. "But I just don't trust him enough."

Dib began typing on his computer until he found what he wanted and waited for the link to connect with him. It didn't take long but the guilt and determination filtering through him made it seem like forever.

Finally, a silhouette appeared. One he wanted to see.

"Agent Moth-Man," the silhouette demanded. "What urgent message do you have for us?"

"It's Zim again, Agent Dark Booty," He said, in an apologetic, frustrated tone. "Look, I know I decided he was docile, but my sister says that he's been acting weird lately. Secretive."

"What are you trying to get at, Moth-Man?" Dark Booty questioned, a brow rising.

Dib took a deep breath before saying what he knew Gaz would kill him for.

"I think the Swollen Eyeball needs to officially prepare for an oncoming invasion. And by the looks of things," he glanced towards the door, where Gaz had left not but moments ago. "We don't have a lot of time."

* * *

It was disappointing to Zim that his girlfriend would not be making an appearance for the rendezvous, as he had been hoping to introduce her to the first Irken he had seen in person in a long time. Of course he had no idea who was coming yet. And he wouldn't be able to see Gaz for who knew how long.

What a downer this plan was turning out to be.

He wasn't the only one suffering either.

Gir whimpered in the corner, looking up at Zim with big, sad eyes. "Master not gonna see Mistress for a while?"

Zim sighed, "Yes, Gir. Gaz will not be coming here until we've conquered this continent. But don't worry, it won't take too long. And we'll be having a guest in the meantime."

"Guest?" Gir sat up some more, intrigued. "We gonna have a guest? YAY!"

Zim made a face at his burst of enthusiasm. It seemed he was the only one truly grieving, though he figured somewhere in his mind, Gir was upset about not being able to see her. He'd become rather attached to her. But Zim couldn't complain about it.

He'd obviously become attached, too.

Zim had given the coordinates on a field where his back-up would be landing, where the mess would start. From there, Zim was to receive the mind-control technology he'd asked for and a gift from the Tallest, a vague present they hadn't mentioned. Everything about what the Tallest were giving him was vague but Zim couldn't complain even if he wanted to. He was lucky they were speaking to him, let alone helping him out.

So Zim was out of his disguise, sitting in the shadows in his Voot Runner, waiting not so patiently. Gir was with him, just to keep him company really, but also, he still didn't trust him at home with Minnie-Moose.

But he had to remind himself that he didn't have a base set up anymore. Minnie-Moose was in the back, where Gir had refused to go, and his house had been taken apart and was once again nothing more then a place in his PAK. It had been an almost sentimental experience, moving, making this whole thing official, but this was all for Gaz, he reminded himself. Really, he wouldn't be putting this much effort into keeping himself alive if it wasn't for her.

"Where is this Invader?" Zim demanded, irritated and restless at the thought of Gaz.

Finally a spark in the sky tipped him off and he looked up, getting out of his Voot Runner immediately. He crossed his arms and waited, Gir hugging his leg beside him and making gurgling noises. Zim ignored him, glad that he at least wasn't screaming like a monkey. And if he was worried about making a good impression, well, he was about almost as tall as the Tallest. All he needed to do was stand there.

The ship landed, just one. Meaning he would be playing the card of Leader and Second-in-Command. Really it was what he'd hoped for, as a third would've made Zim look like his people considered Earth a sufficient enough threat to send three of its best. A part of the plan was making Earth realize just how truly primitive it was and let them be aware it would take near to nothing to overthrow them entirely.

Because it was true.

Zim stepped out from the shadows, making himself known. He wondered what it would be like, looking at someone who was the size of a child when he had grown to the size of the average male. Zim had thought that his growth had something to do with the different air pressure from Earth and his home planet, but now was not the time to worry about it.

The gas cleared from the initial opening. Zim waited, eyes stern, with Gir still making stupid sounds, but quietly at least.

Then he saw the figure and his eyes widened, antenna shooting straight up.

"_Skoodge_?"

* * *

Half of you expected Tak, huh?

No need to worry, she shows up.

Eventually.

Not in the way you would expect though. Trust me, none of you will be able to guess how she enters this story.

Anyways, next chapter, the world as we know it ends.

Hope you liked how clever Gaz was with placing the tracking devices.

Some of you might disagree with it, but be logical, like she is. If she didn't deceive and trick them, the two people she cares about (who aren't Zim) will die in the casualties most definitely.

What would you do for family?

Till the next chapter!


	6. The Takeover Begins

Yes, the last day.

If you think it's moving quickly, you've got the wrong idea for the main plot. Sometimes it's not about getting power.

I'm chewing gum!

Irrelevant?

That's okay!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6  
"The Takeover Begins"**

Zim was stunned. They sent Skoodge, of all people?

Guess the Tallest weren't being _too_ generous with him, then.

Skoodge looked smaller then ever, but maybe that was just because of Zim's new height change. Skoodge looked completely confident after descending from his own ship. However, upon locating Zim from his surprised outburst, he positively wilted.

"Skoodge, reporting for duty si- . . . ! _Wow_, Zim!" He shouted, in disbelieving awe, his formerly saluting hand lowering to his side. "You're almost as tall as the Tallest."

"Yes, yes, never mind that!" Zim insisted, analyzing Skoodge. "Well . . . You'll only make me look better, I suppose. Come now, Skoodge, we've got a station to set up."

"Oh, which reminds me!" Skoodge reached into his PAK and removed a metallic box, obviously hiding something within it. "The Tallest sent me with a present for you. Something to start you off with setting up a new base."

"Really?" Zim replied, intrigued, peering at the device that seemed very new to him. He'd been out of the loop for too long when it came to technology and he hoped he could get back in soon. "Ooh, it's shiny! What is it?"

"I'll show you." Skoodge offered cheerfully.

He set it down on the floor and Zim found it sad he didn't have to squat to do so. In fact, just standing there was more then low enough to the ground for him to play with it. Zim remembered when he had been about Skoodge's height and wondered how he that had been as he watched him work.

"There," Skoodge said, seeming to be satisfied. Zim was vaguely "You might want to take a few steps back though. And make sure that you're on steady ground because when this thing starts, the ground is going to be rocking. We are starting _now_, right?"

Zim checked his watch. It was 11:59 and counting.

"Wait a few seconds. I want this to start at exactly the time the new day begins on Earth. A nice touch, don't you think?"

Skoodge nodded his agreement, taking the military stance once again. "Yes, sir!"

Zim eyed his new help, wondering what to make of him. Perhaps it was a good thing Gaz wasn't here. Until Skoodge got used to Earth, it was probably best his first encounter with a human wasn't one as terrifying as her.

He waited until the time was on the ten second countdown.

5

4

3

2

"Hit the button."

Skoodge did it right as the clock turned midnight.

And all across the state and seeping into a few others, and earthquake was felt. Not a large one, but one big enough to get everyone's attention. If you thought Zim's base created a big bang, you should see what happens when you make a whole fortress.

* * *

Gaz was sleeping when she woke to the ground shaking. She felt her heart jump in its just upon seeing that it was midnight, not morning, like she had expected. She had memorized each character, reviewed countless times. She'd thought she had another day.

Guess Zim wasn't willing to wait that long to get this over with.

"Gaz!" She heard Dib call from his room. "Gaz! Where are you?"

The ground was shaking hard. Zim's Phase 1 was mainly lone but she did know some of the of the details and she was pretty sure a natural disaster wasn't part of the plan. Maybe this was just coincidence, sure.

But she really doubted it.

Gaz got out calmly from the bed. The ground was still shaking. Things were falling on the ground but she didn't have a lot to be worried about. She wouldn't be here soon enough anyways.

"Relax, Dib," She ordered, leaning against the doorway of her room. "It's just an earthquake."

Dib scrambled around in the hallway, continuously falling down. At Gaz's order though he stopped, sitting up slowly, planting himself on the floor as he stared in wonder at the shivering house. Gaz eyed it all with disinterest and the two of them stayed put, waiting it out.

It took about ten minutes. It felt like hours.

When it stopped Dib got to his feet warily, as if unsure of the stabilization of the ground. Gaz snorted at his attitude as the two headed downstairs. Dr. Membrane was not at home at the moment, he was off at work and they doubted he would come home when nothing bad had happened.

Dib turned on the News at once.

A very bored reporter was talking about the earthquake, of course. It had marked a 4.9 on the Richter Scale, seriously nothing to worry about. Not many had been hurt and so far only minor damage had been reported.

"Yes, nothing really of interest." They were saying, tiredly. "We'll update in a minute with- What?" They suddenly seemed to have life in them, eyes wide as someone whispered to them off camera. "Breaking news: there seems to be a source for the earthquake might not be just a natural occurrence. We've got cameras there now, on the scene."

Gaz's brow rose. "What causes an earthquake?"

She felt Dib shift uncomfortably beside her, extremely tense. It was even making her uncomfortable. What the hell was Zim thinking, starting in the middle of the night, when she should be resting for the coming days? But she couldn't do anything about it now. All his decisions would be separate from her until this continent was enslaved and she was the face of a rebellion. Who knew how long that could take?

The news shifted to a new reporter, standing in front of a building of unbelievable proportions. Gaz's eyes widened. That had _definitely_ not been a part of the plan. What _other_ changes had Zim made while she wasn't there?

"What the hell?" She hissed, unable to hold it in.

The color, too, was far too familiar. A magenta-ish red, Zim's signature color, covered the structure. His giant insignia was plastered on the center and smaller versions on the surrounding towers. It was all interconnected, an impenetrable fortress.

Dib's eyes were wide with disbelief, mouth flapping. "Z-Z-Z- . . . Z-Zi-."

"_Zim_," Gaz finished for him, her teeth gritting tightly. She had to admit, not all of it was acting. She really was pissed he hadn't told her about this part of the plan. "What he_ hell_ is he doing?"

The camera showed some officers trying to approach the fortress, however, they were continuously stopped quite some ways away by a force-field that only appeared when touched. It was like a bubble, wiggling a bit when touched, like jello. It couldn't be broken or penetrated, that much was immediately obvious. It was technology Gaz didn't even know Zim had. Apparently, his back-up had brought tools.

She tuned back in to what the male reporter was saying, blocking out her irritation. She had to see what was going on. "We're not sure what it is yet, Martha, or even how it appeared. Authorities, however-."

Suddenly the whole flat, front plane of the structure changed, as if it was a hologram. A static screen appeared and at once the reporter was silent, all surrounding curious citizens and officials alike.

Then Zim's face appeared, an uninterested expression on his face.

Dib's heart was pounding in his chest. All he could think about was that he was glad he'd warned the Swollen Eyeball when he had.

Gaz thought Zim's tactic was flashy but necessary. He had to get the world's attention _somehow_ and this seemed to be an effective enough method. She noticed in the background a small, green alien. Probably the back-up, though he didn't look very impressive. But he stood at attention, like a soldier who knew more then anything. Hopefully he'd be able to keep Zim in line while she couldn't.

The biggest thing, though? Zim wasn't wearing his disguise.

"Hello, insignificant dirt-citizens!" He said, eying them. The camera zoomed in on the broadcast and Gaz had to give it to them for keeping their hands steady in a situation like this. "This is your superior speaking to you!"

"What is he _doing_?" She demanded, under her breath, shaking her head for Dib's benefit. "This . . ."

Dib gave her a sympathetic, pained look. He reached out to touch her shoulder, "Gaz-."

But Zim continued talking, interrupting them.

"My name is Invader Zim, and I have been sent here to take over your planet. My assistant behind me is Invader Skoodge," Zim's broadcast went off of him and towards Skoodge a moment before going back to the original view. "I've been doing information gathering for a few years now and after sending my data back to my leaders, we've decided it's time for Earth to be put under new management. Meaning _me_."

The crowd murmured in surprise and alarm.

"Yes, yes, I know this is hard for your small brains to comprehend, but yes. An alien is now going to be in charge here." Zim smirked at them, almost in a kind manner. But it was far too mocking to be kind. "I'll soon be contacting your president about this new reign and I trust that you know, should any of you try to disobey me." His face darkened as he chuckled. "Well, we'll just have to make an example of someone then. Oh, and if you're thinking about breaking through my force field, don't. That technology is _centuries_ beyond anything _you_ could even hope you come up with. Until then!"

The transmission ended and the projection of the Irken Empire appeared.

Gaz held her head. "This is impossible . . . No, he would've _told_ me about this, Dib! He would've told me about this!"

Dib jumped to his feet as Gaz began pacing, her hands running through her hair as she built her frustration up. He gripped her shoulders to stop her, to make her look at him.

"Gaz, calm down, okay?" Dib ordered, nervous, but in charge. What would make her feel better? "Just . . . Just try calling him or something!"

Gaz gave him a look of disbelief before the idea dawned on her. She lifted her wrist to the watch, having already destroyed the CD with the language translator tutor, and dialed. It rang.

"Attention User," the watch said in a voice Gaz had never heard, let alone was aware it had. "The signal you are trying to reach has blocked you. Do not try calling again."

Gaz was shaking when Dib looked up at her. Her face was a mask of fury.

"Stupid asshole!" She shrieked, ripping off the watch and slamming it on the floor. Her foot soon connected with it in a crunch, shattering and destroying any way to try to track Zim or get any Irken information. A convenient little plot she'd come up with on her own.

Dib jumped at the sudden movement. However when Gaz pulled her foot away from the shards, his eyes widened even more. Her foot had some cuts on it, as her skin wasn't indestructible.

"Shit!" She hissed. It was scary seeing Gaz this pissed. Dib knew she only swore when she was seriously mad at to hear her swearing so much within such a short time frame was unnerving.

"Gaz!" Dib shouted, kneeling to examine her foot. He sighed, "Come on, I'll carry you upstairs to my room and we can get that cleaned."

The last thing Dib wanted to do was handle Gaz when she was like this, but he had no choice. He scooped her up and carried her as promised. Since the door was already open to his room he didn't have to ruin a perfectly good door by kicking it down, and set her on his bed. He dragged out his first-aid kit under his bed, popping it open. He pulled out tweezers and gauze, the tweezers in case she still had some pieces in the skin. Upon more thorough examination though, she somehow had escaped getting anything inside her foot, and so Dib just wrapped the gauze and patched her up.

"Gaz, I've . . . I've got to make a call." Dib said, knowing this was going to come up eventually, nervously.

Gaz didn't look at him. Just at her bandaged foot. "You're calling your Swollen Eyeball people, aren't you?"

Dib just nodded.

She sighed and gripped the bed frame. "Just do it, Dib. I don't care anymore."

Dib could've killed Zim. Gaz had broke and she wasn't going to be fixing herself without some type of motivation.

And Dib had every intention of giving her one.

He nodded and logged onto his computer, glad his systems hadn't been knocked over in the initial earthquake. Dib continued to grant himself access until he was inside the Swollen Eyeball network,

And everything was on Red Alert.

Immediately he was granted access into an ongoing chat. It seemed almost all of the networks were connected. What Zim was doing seemed like just a really confused mess on the news but inside the Swollen Eyeball, it was immediately apparent what was going on.

"Agent Moth-Man," Dark Booty greeted him, on the main screen. "We've been waiting for you."

"You say you have intel on the alien?" Agent Tunaghost pressed. "Is this the same one you studied when you were a child?"

If by 'studied' they meant '_obsessed_ over-'.

"Yes," Dib said at once. "Zim. I suspected he was up to something but I never guessed . . .!" He took a deep breath to compose himself. "I'm sorry I didn't catch this earlier."

_How could you?_ Gaz wondered, inspecting her stinging foot. _We only just came up with it a couple of days ago._

"It's perfectly alright, Agent Moth-Man. We admire that you noticed at all." An agent replied. Gaz wasn't sure who he was talking to. She didn't care so long as Dib had their attention.

"Well, it wasn't just my observations. Actually, my sister was the first to notice."

Gaz could've grinned. Instead though she looked up, surprised. Dib was giving her a supportive look.

"She knows the alien better then anyone, really." Dib continued, still smiling warmly at her. "What do you say, Gaz? You willing to help?"

She almost lost it at being forced to refer to Zim, the most important person in her life, as 'the alien', but she didn't. Instead she nodded, but clearly reluctant. If Gaz just jumped right in, it would be suspicious. This all had to be played by the hair.

"I . . . Sure," She said, rubbing her neck uncomfortably.

Dark Booty cleared his throat. "Then from this moment on you'll be known by an informant, codename 'Little Sister'. Is that alright with you?"

Gaz nodded, "Yeah, fine. Just . . . I'll help." But she looked at the floor again, dejected.

Dib made a face of pity before looking back. "What do you propose we do for now, Agent Dark Booty?"

He deliberated a moment. Everyone waited in anticipation for their first move.

"Dib, call your father and inform him you're going to be moved into a safe-keeping home. We can't risk you two, are only and most valuable information suppliers, getting hurt or worse."

"He probably won't hurt Gaz," Dib said before he could stop himself. Gaz shot him an unreadable look so he quickly changed the subject. "But we'll start packing now. Where should we go?"

"We'll send a car to your house in an hour. Is that enough time?"

"Yeah," Dib nodded, swallowing hard. Never had he expected things to get this bad because of Zim. He'd honestly figured that Zim would rather turn against his kind then be away from his sister.

_Guess you can't trust aliens_, he though, bitterly. He glanced at Gaz, who was paying attention to the screen with a hard face. _He'll probably come after her. I **know** he will. I'd like to get her somewhere safe before that happens._

"Good." Dark Booty ammended. "We'll continue this conversation then, _in person_."

"Agent Moth-Man and Little Sister out, then." Dib replied. He ended the transmission with a shaking hand, breathing out a sigh.

Gaz was looking around his room. Her face was hard as she stood.

"Gaz, I'm sorry!" Dib said, thinking she was mad about being forced to move within an hours time. "I know it's not a lot of time, but-!"

She gave him a look of confusion. "Dib, we don't have a choice. That guy was right, we've got to get out of here."

"You . . . You're okay with this?" He questioned, surprised. "Oh. Well, good!"

Gaz looked back at his room. "Do you want me to call Dad or do you want to?"

"I will." Dib said at once. He eyed her foot. "You think you can walk on that?"

She snorted in disbelief. "_Duh_."

Gaz walked out of the room like it was nothing, reassuring him. In truth it stung like no other but Gaz didn't have time for pain. She was leaving in an hour to go who knows where, with Zim doing who knew what, in a plan so thick with betrayal she was going to have to open a window.

When she did open the window to her room, sirens filled the night air. People were packing up their cars like it was the end of the world, which technically, it was. Or at least, the end of the world as they knew it. But it would change for the better, really. Humans couldn't run themselves properly. They needed a force not to be reckoned with, to keep them under control, and she and Zim would be it.

Gaz pulled out suitcases from under her bed, repacking them. They were the same ones she'd used when she'd temporarily moved into Zim's house during the incident with the LEECHY and the memories made her smirk a little in amusement. She wondered if Zim's help had brought some of those as well, _working_ ones, but then realized there wasn't really a point to it. If Zim's plan went according to plan, he wouldn't need to actually fight.

The own U.S. army would do that for them.

She glanced at the clock. Exactly twenty minutes since the invasion had started.

So then the army should be under his control in exactly four hours and forty minutes.

Gaz sighed and continued to pack her things. Vaguely she wondered if she should clean up, hide the evidence of her hand in the invasion, before she realized she could always just burn the house later. It wasn't like here was anything really important in it anyways. Although with her all fathers chemicals in the basement, it would make one hell of a bomb to the neighborhood.

When she was done she had about ten minutes left. Gaz had taken the time to change out of her pajamas, now wearing jeans and a long-sleeved purple shirt and black vest. She had only packed clothes, her game, batteries, a few blank notebooks and pens (God only knew for what reason, Gaz just had a feeling she'd use them), and her security bugs. Of course she wouldn't need them if the Swollen Eyeball did their job at protecting them, but Gaz trusted few people she knew and _definitely_ didn't trust anyone she didn't know. Not that Zim would come anywhere near her or Dib but Gaz did have to keep up appearances.

She pulled out her three suitcases, dragging them down the stairs one at a time. When she was done she went back upstairs, into Dib's room, seeing Dib had finished packing, but was attempting to clean up the room.

Gaz leaned against the door frame. "Don't bother cleaning up or trying to hide anything."

Dib jumped in surprise, having not noticed her, spinning around to stare at her. "W-What do you mean?"

"This place is just going to burn anyways." She said darkly.

His eyes widened. "_What_?"

"You don't think this would be the first place Zim targets, to try to eliminate any trace of his former life?" Gaz informed him bluntly. "Anything you think is valuable, I recommend you take with you. Otherwise this place is probably going to go down in flames and all that will be left is ashes."

Dib stared at her, mouth agape. Then he quickly removed a suitcase of paper he'd been trying to hide and stacked it on top of his other suitcases. Gaz began helping him move things out of his room, moving them downstairs while he got his evidence together. By the time they were done, a black, sleek car pulled up to their curb and two rather authoritative looking people got out.

The men loaded their bags into the car while Dib and Gaz got in, Dib staring at the men in awe and Gaz taking the situation rather well. But that wasn't unnatural, she always seemed to keep her head at the most panic-worthy times, and this was just another example of that.

Gaz sighed, looking out the tinted windows. The neighbors were paying them no attention, too wrapped up themselves to notice the suspicious activity of the Membrane household. Nobody noticed the men in suits and sunglasses packing up a car.

"They act like the Secret Service or something." Gaz muttered, crossing her arms.

Dib smiled reassuringly at her. "Well we _are_ technically in Witness Protection."

"_I_ am. _You're_ one of the field agents protecting his 'Little Sister'." She retorted smugly, crossing her legs.

The agents got in the car then, securing it. The locks activated.

"Little Sister and Moth-Man," The passenger said, turning around in the car with a reassuring smile. "We're taking you to the Swollen Eyeball headquarters for your safe keeping. Have you called your father?"

"Yes," Dib replied. "He said to remain safe and update him as often as possible, but, he's currently working with the president on the given situation so he'll probably be too busy."

"_Please_ tell me we're not sharing a room," Gaz said, immediately. "As much time as I spend with my brother, I don't think I can handle sharing a room with him right now. I'm stressed enough as it is."

The agents shared a look. She certainly didn't _look_ stressed. But they warily just decided to answer her question, "Um, no. We've got two separate rooms for you, however, they are located next to one another."

"So long as they aren't the same room." Gaz said with finality. "Now where is this headquarters of yours located?"

* * *

Zim was bored.

The president wasn't supposed to meet with him for a few hours.

Nobody was attacking his fortress yet.

Even _Gir_ wasn't bothering him, he was off running around exploring their new house!

So what better way to pass the time then to stalk the only human on the planet he cared about?

He found her tracking device. It was not with her father's but it _was_ with Dib's. He used his satellite to track them, and activated the microphone on the tracker Gaz didn't known about. Sure, it was unethical not to tell his partner he would be listening to her, but Zim couldn't go that long without _at least_ hearing her voice. But now he could see and hear her, like he was with her, just a film of glass separated them.

Zim was surprised to see her in a car, with a couple of agents. Dib was obviously antsy, excited, but he was obviously in charge. Which explain why Gaz was the one who looked bitter and uncomfortable.

"Think of it, Gaz!" Dib said, awe filling his voice. "You and I as a team, saving the world again. Like when we were kids, remember?"

Gaz gave him a look. "Yeah . . . _right_."

"Little Sister," The man in the passenger seat said, turning to look at her with a raised brow. "You _are_ a willing informant, aren't you?"

Informant? Zim chuckled. Oh how clever his little Gaz was. The invasion had only started a little more then an hour ago and Gaz had already begun setting herself up as a higher power, probably for Dib's Swollen Eyeball. That would definitely explain why Dib looked so excited.

"Look, Zim and I were close, okay?" She hissed, glaring at the man, who leaned back, along with Dib. The driver even tensed. "It's not easy for me to be dealing with this mess he's created, especially since he didn't even tell me about it."

Zim wished he could be with her, wipe that scowl from her face and replace it with a pout, at the very least. He reached a three-fingered hand up, to touch the screen where her face was.

"Soon, Gaz," he breathed, quietly, "As soon as I can, I will come for you."

There was quiet, even from the car he was spying on.

"Do you love her?"

Zim jumped, terrified. He'd forgotten about the Computer.

"_Love_?" Zim demanded, swallowing, composing himself. He was aware of what love was, but he hadn't thought about it in a while. He placed a hand on his chin, intrigued. "You know . . . I've got no idea. Computer, update me on what humans define love as."

"Downloading . . . . Love: the ultimate sign of affection from humans. It's entire devotion to a single person, someone you wish to spend the rest of your life with. Humans can sometimes confuse love for obsession and often kill for it. When two people are in love they often become officially joined by marriage and create a family Love is a binding emotion where one cannot be happy when the other is not, and is happy because the other is."

"Devotion to a person you want to spend the rest of your life with," Zim repeated to himself, eying Gaz's image on the screen.

He wasn't paying attention to what Dib was saying but whatever it was, Gaz smiled at it and laughed at his elaboration of it. The image and sound of her laughter made him smile.

"Only happy when she is . . . Probably because she makes you miserable if she isn't," He amended, seeming satisfied. "Very well."

"Have you come to a conclusion, sir?" The Computer asked. It was much more respectful and precise, now that it had gotten updates and tweks from Skoodge and himself. They'd _tried_ to do the same on Gir but it was soon evident that was a hopeless case.

"Yes," Zim's eyes bore into the screen of his precious item, looking out the window now and ignoring her brother. "Yes, I have."

"_And_?" The Computer pressed. "What conclusion would that be?"

Zim smirked at its impatience. "I've deduced that I love Gaz."

* * *

Now if he could just say it to her you'd all be happy, wouldn't you?

He'll do it eventually! But they're busy now!

Work to be done, right?

Gaz is busy!

Zim is busy!

Dib is busy!

Everyone is so busy!

But things will work out for the smexier. You won't have to wait until Phase 2 for it, at their official reunion.

I've already got some plans for a rather hot scene during Phase 1. Gaz and Zim aren't the only who know how to set up the proper plan/bait!

Till the next chapter!


	7. Interviews

It's . . . 12:15am.

It's summer.

I CAN STAY UP AS LATE AS I WANNA! :D

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 7  
"Interviews"**

Zim smiled at the president, who was standing before him.

At least, figuratively.

Never would Zim leave his fortress. Not until the world was under his control, at the very least. Also, he wasn't dumb enough to let them in the building either. So they were having a video conference, courtesy of Zim, since he was calling the shots here.

"We won't allow this!" He was shouting, angrily. "The United States of America will never bow down to you!"

Some people behind him clapped.

Zim rolled his eyes.

"Save the speeches for your press conferences, filthy human. You obviously don't understand the seriousness of your situation." Zim smirked. "You see, you don't have the army to try and attack me."

"We can assure you, Invader Zim," The President sneered. "We have more then a sufficient enough army to take on your building."

"You misunderstand me," Zim laughed, with Skoodge, who was behind him. "I've taken over your army, every soldier, deployed or otherwise. Even if they aren't aware of it. In light of this new information," Zim added, seeing the shocked expression on all of their faces. "I'll give you another day to decide your next move. We will meet again tomorrow at exactly midnight, sharp. And please don't disappoint me with more threats. No matter how determined you are to cross me, you've got nothing on me. Goodbye."

He ended the transmission, chuckling.

Skoodge, too, seemed amused. "Wait till they find out about the mind control."

"Soon enough, Skoodge. One step at a time. We can't get ahead of ourselves here," Zim warned good-naturedly.

* * *

Gaz woke up on the bed.

It took her a minute to realize where she was. The headquarters they'd arrived at in the morning, around 2. Glancing at the clock she saw that it was now 7:30 and scowled. Well, at least she knew her stress-induced sleep schedule was back.

Gaz realized she had fallen asleep in her clothes and went to the small bathroom attached to her room. The room was filled with necessities only, a couple of closets, a Queen bed. She shivered at what might've happened on a guest double bed but tried not to think about it, since she would be sleeping on it for who knew how long.

When she had made herself decent and change out of her wrinkled, slept in clothes, exchanging them for fresh ones. She glanced at herself in the mirror, adjusting her hair so she looked presentable, someone the Swollen Eyeball could rely on for accurate information.

"Good enough," Gaz decided, leaving the room.

She turned away, heading towards the door. Upon opening it she was met surprise in the form of a man standing in front of it, his back towards the door. He turned around and nodded his head to her.

"Are you my escort or something?" Gaz questioned, eying him.

"I'm guarding you, to ensure your safety." The man explained.

Gaz smiled a pitying smile. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm more then capable of taking care of myself. You aren't needed."

"With all do respect, Little Sister, you _are_ only a young girl. You don't have the same experience or training as someone like me or even your brother, who we've trained to work in the field since a young age." The man said, smiling back politely.

Dib opened his door then, unnoticed. Upon seeing the odd encounter with her and the guard (though he, too, had a guard of his own), both he and his new shadow watched with curiosity.

"Oh, you think so?" Gaz walked around him, shutting the door to her room with a glint in her eye that Dib recognized.

"Gaz," Dib warned, "_Don't_."

"What?" She demanded in a mischievous and deceptive tone, shooting Dib a look through narrowed eyes. "It's not _my_ fault he doesn't believe me. I don't see the harm in a little friendly combat."

"I don't fight unarmed young ladies," The guard replied, standing straight with his arms folded in his lap. "I will not fight you, Little Sister."

"Fair enough," Gaz said with a shrug, standing so they were shoulder to shoulder, facing opposite directions. She lowered her voice and suddenly it was bitter, and filled with masked pain, a dark tone. "But think about this; if I wasn't strong enough to protect myself, why would Zim hang around _me_?"

She then proceeded to walk past Dib, to explore. He caught up to her.

"What did you say to him?" Dib demanded, in a sharp whisper. He glanced over his shoulder to see the two guards discussing quickly and quietly with one another. He became alarmed as one of them pulled out a phone and began speaking seriously into it.

"Nothing that wasn't true," She replied, that dark and possibly depressed tone still in her voice. Then she lightened up a bit. "But at least I got rid of them so we can explore the place on our own."

Dib shot another glanced behind them as they turned the corner. "Be careful, Gaz. These people trust me, but they aren't used to you yet. If you're not careful you're going to end up in an interrogation room instead of a guest room."

"Clever," Gaz retorted sarcastically. "Don't worry so much, Dib. I'm just being honest. Isn't that what they want from me anyways?"

"Just don't antagonize these people. I know you never thought much of the Swollen Eyeball, but they really _are_ a serious organization. In fact they're working with the government right now about the alien."

Gaz stopped dead in her tracks. When Dib realized she had he too came to an abrupt halt, looking back at her.

She glared at the floor. "Zim, Dib. We don't get to call him 'the alien' like everyone else. We were his friends."

_Friends?_ He snorted in his mind. _Me and Zim? Hardly_.

But Dib noticed she was avoiding saying she was more than that, even though it was plainly obvious. Dib just found it really hard to believe that Zim would leave Gaz here, especially since Dib knew for a fact he cared about her, at least a little.

"Yeah. Right," Dib agreed, placing his arm around her. "Are you okay, Gaz?"

"Probably not," She admitted, folding her arms behind her head and shrugging him off of her. "But what can I do?"

"I guess . . . But don't be afraid to ask me for help, okay?" Dib replied, not moving to touch her again.

Gaz smiled at him. "Alright, I will. But right now I'm fine, seriously."

"Okay, good." Dib smiled at her and then looked around the room. "So, where you want to go?"

"I don't know. Hey wait, did they say they're working with the government?" Gaz realized, with wide eyes. "Didn't you say _Dad_ is working with them?"

Dib jumped to the same conclusion as her. "Oh, hey, yeah! So that means we might get to see him."

"Ugh, if we're shipped to the capital, I swear." Gaz said, scowling. "Isn't it enough that we live in the same general area of DC, but we might actually have to physically go the White House?"

"At least we'd be together and don't have to suffer by ourselves," Dib pointed out, grinning at her. "And we'd get to meet the president!"

"An idiot politician with more power than most but less power than you'd think," Gaz insisted, bluntly. "But if we get to work with Dad then . . . _I_ _guess_ it wouldn't be so bad."

Dib seemed pleased at her slight optimism.

All in all, the building was larger and much more advanced and pristine then either of them would've thought. The technology in the rooms was almost unbelievable, frighteningly so. There were so many Top Secret signs that required access that Gaz and Dib were kept in a rather straight path. They guessed this was to help in tours of the place, to ensure no one would get lost.

Peeking into some of the windows in the Testing Area, the siblings were surprised to see astronaut-looking technology. They seemed to be playing with bone marrow, probably trying to find a way to prevent the weakening of bones in space.

"Weird." Gaz muttered, pulling Dib onward.

However all she could think about the whole time was how unimpressive this place was to her, because she was used to better. Zim's lab was much smaller then this large building, or, it used to be, and he could make almost anything he want within a few days' time.

As they wondered through the testing lab, a spark of fire made him remember something he'd forgotten. "Oh, Gaz!"

She eyed him at his sudden outburst. "What?"

Dib glanced around at passing scientist before lowering his voice, whispering in her ear. "You might not want to mention that . . . _power_ of yours _here_. I have a feeling they wouldn't take it to well."

Gaz frowned at him. "You don't even know what it is!"

Dib grimaced. "And I still don't want to know. But I don't want you getting all these tests done just because you're careless."

Gaz snickered and patted him on the head. "Don't worry, so long as no one takes this little thing off," she tapped her necklace with a fingernail. "I can't even do it anyways. It's a modification that . . . Zim made."

Dib sighed. Gaz's mood changes were just something he couldn't keep up with. So he changed the subject. "Just don't use that skill unless it's absolutely necessary, okay?"

"Okay, Dib. Okay." She rolled her eyes as they kept walking.

Eventually, though, their _guards_ did catch up with them. Actually, the two had wandered into the telecommunication room, so technically _they_ caught up with their guards.

"Hey, look!" Dib said, pointing. "It's Dad!"

Gaz looked to see that Dr. Membrane was, in fact, one of about a dozen people on the screen. The two continued up to the screen, startling all of the people in the room at their sudden and unexpected appearance.

"Hello, children!" Dr. Membrane replied, enthusiastic and superior as always. "These people tell me you're working with them now. Glad to know you two are doing your part in stopping your little foreign friend's takeover."

"He's an alien, Dad." Dib said, dryly, a brow rising in disbelief at his father's consistent refusal to believe in the paranormal. "An _alien_."

"Yes, yes, of course, son." Dr. Membrane said, with a wave of his hand and a tone of amusement.

Gaz snickered and Dib shot her a look.

"Yes, well," an agent whose voice sounded familiar to Gaz said, turning back to the large screen. "We'll be bringing Agent Moth-Man and Little Sister up once we've finished consulting them about the alien. Once we're up there, we'll debrief you on the information we collect and they can answer any questions you have."

"We need one answered _now_." The President insisted, eying the two siblings. "It's of vital importance that you answer this question with thought and consideration, children."

Gaz made a face. She was really getting tired of being called a 'child' and a 'young girl' when she was almost 18. That was legally an adult! And Dib was already 19 (his birthday being about 6 month ago), so he'd been an adult for a year now. They were _no_ children.

"We need to know," The president continued, leaning towards the screen. "Is he dangerous?"

Both stared in surprise. Dib contemplated while Gaz already knew the answer.

"Only when threatened." She answered, plainly. "Whatever move you plan to make, you better be sure it works, otherwise you can rest assured you'll be making a larger problem then you anticipated. Zim doesn't start things. He retaliates to them."

The room was hanging on her every word, as well as the people on the other end of the transmission, including Dib and Dr. Membrane. She hardly noticed though. Gaz was going to be as honest as possible as an informant, to avoid getting caught in a lie.

"What do you mean?" A man dressed in military garb demanded. Gaz guessed he was in charge of the army then and narrowed her eyes at him. He'd be the one mainly in charge of weaponry, she guessed, and it was vital he knew what he was up against.

Gaz made elaborations with her hand. "Zim is partially insane. He's also attracted to power and magic. Once he's interested in something, though it really depends on what it is, he won't harm it. He doesn't like people touching his property, either, so if you're going after anything he considers him property then you can guarantee he's going to react."

"What do you think he cares about?" Another man shot out, immediately.

Gaz bared her teeth, on the defensive. "Why would you need to know?"

"Gaz!" Dib said quickly, intervening at what could be a nasty little mess if he didn't blow out the fuse here. "Um, why don't you go collect yourself outside for a second, okay? I can handle it from here."

Gaz swallowed hard. When she twitched Dib flinched, thinking she was about hit him. But instead, to his surprised (and relief) she just turned around and left the room. Everyone watched her go in silence until the door shut.

Dib sighed, standing at attention to the very important men on the screen. "Sorry about her. Gaz-, I mean, Little Sister, knows the most about Zim because she was really close to him. I think she's really upset about this, even if she won't tell me. If you want answers from her, you're going to have to ask _me_ the questions about his emotions."

"Of course," Agent Dark Booty agreed. "We'll apologize for our insensitivity when this meeting is over."

"Actually, you probably shouldn't." Dib said, making a weak face and rubbing his neck uncomfortable. "She'll probably just get madder. Gaz doesn't like to show emotion in front of other people."

"Understood." The men said, in unison.

Dib cleared his throat, tugging at his collar as he continued. "To answer your question, he doesn't become interested in much of Earth technology. In comparison, Zim's Irken technology- his people are called Irken, by the way- is a thousand times more advanced then most of ours. However, as much as I hate to admit it, he was rather . . . _attached_ to Little Sister."

_Yeah_, Dib thought, begrudgingly. _And now she's heartbroken and confused._

"Is it possible for anyone else to make friends with the alien?" The President asked, a new angle working in his mind.

"No, not possible." Dib said at once, absolutely sure. "Gaz is . . . well, _unique_ to the human race, or at least of the humans Zim came into contact with on his time spent on Earth. With the exception of Little Sister and maybe myself, Zim doesn't respect any humans enough to want to befriend them."

"So _you_ were friends with him as well?"

"No," Dib shook his head. "We were enemies up until he befriended and helped Little Sister out. Since she started hanging out with him, we've obtained a tolerance of one another, but only when she's around, even still. He's probably expecting _me_ to be his number one enemy, since I've always promised him I would be the one to bring him down, since I was a kid."

"Mm," the Intelligence Director said, touching his chin. "We'll consider this information and have the Swollen Eyeball tell us more when they interview you and Little Sister."

"We'll bring them over as soon as we're done." Agent Dark Booty agreed, saluting them. The rest of the agency followed his lead and awkwardly, Dib did the same. "Over and out, sir!"

The call ended.

Dib sighed, relaxing. "I'll go talk to Gaz and calm her down. You can interview us then."

"If you wouldn't mind, we'd like to do so separately, to ensure we get both of your opinions."

"We'll also make sure we're careful about the questions we ask Little Sister," Another agent assured him. "We wouldn't want to upset one of our informants and make her uncooperative."

Dib gave a sigh of relief, smiling gratefully at them. "Thanks. I'll go tell her. If you don't mind, I'd like to do it alone."

"Of course."

They nodded their heads at him and Dib smiled, walking out the door. He shut it behind him to find Gaz, down the hallway, arms crossed as she looked out the giant window that was more glass then wall. She had a stern gaze, eyes narrowed, lips tight as she examined the still morning sky. Dib didn't know how he knew, but he just got the feeling Gaz wished it was night more then anything right now.

Dib approached her, standing next to her without saying a word. They stood like that for a while, Dib waiting patiently for once. He found he was being awfully mature in this situation. It was surprising even him but it was a trait he was grateful for.

Finally, Gaz sighed, breaking the silence. "I didn't mean to snap at them."

"I know," Dib assured her, smiling warmly at her. "You don't need to explain yourself to me."

Gaz smirked. "Are they going to interview me now?"

"Both of us."

"Separately?"

"Yeah."

"Figures," Gaz took a deep breath, cracking her knuckles for no reason besides that she could. "Well, let's get this over with then."

"Try to be cooperative," Dib begged, giving her a pleading look. "I know some of this is uncomfortable, but-."

"I got it, no more snapping at them." Gaz insisted with a half-hearted laugh. "Whatever you say, _Agent Moth-Man_."

Dib huffed, defensively. "Hey! There's nothing wrong with my code-name!"

"Mm," Gaz said with a smirk, purposefully mocking him.

* * *

Zim's latest hobby was people-watching.

Except, the only one he watched was Gaz.

No, he didn't watch her change or anything like that. Zim had far too much respect for her to invade her privacy. Even if he'd be more than happy to see her undressed (he actually was curious as to what that would look like as well, since it was one of the few things he wasn't willing to look up) but even if he _did_, it would just be painful for him. Whatever attraction he obtained (because there _would_ be one) he wouldn't be able to satisfy, as she was miles away from his station. No, Zim would be good. It would be for his own benefit in the end.

Gaz, after her and her brother had been properly nourished, had been led into an interrogation room. But it was just an interview. However, Zim's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the settings. After seeing her so desolate at the window, before her annoying brother came to comfort her, Zim had vowed that so long as she was under his watchful eye, no harm would come to her through these Swollen Eyeball people who seemed to almost enjoy pushing her buttons in ways that upset her.

"Stupid little dooky-head humans," he growled, crossing his arms. Beside him there was the sound of crunching and he glanced down, a brow rising. Gir was beside him, on the arm of the chair he sat in, eating popcorn like this was a movie.

Gir turned to him and smiled. "Gaz on da TV!"

Zim snorted. "Do you miss her as well?" Gir nodded rapidly. He continued to nod until Zim stopped it with a finger to Gir's forehead. "Very well. Then you may stay."

"Yippee!" Gir cried out a moment before going back to his popcorn.

The two extraterrestrial beings then continued to watch with growing curiosity.

Gaz was obviously guarded, but trying not to be. She was really making an effort to give information, it seemed. But they both knew that it didn't matter how prepared they were against Zim, it would never be enough to win.

"Little Sister," the investigator began. "Are you prepared to be honest and truthful in your analysis and background with the alien known as Invader Zim?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"Good. Then let's begin."

Cameras were trained on her face, as well as a recorder. This would obviously be documented for later review.

"Starting off with what you said previously of Invader Zim's character analysis." The man began, looking over some notes. "You said Zim was insane, very protective of what he owns, and attracted to power in any form that interests him."

Gaz nodded, on the defensive. Zim growled at her discomfort. "Yes. And that he's only dangerous when threatened."

"Yes, that too." The agent agreed. "What else about Zim do you think we should know about? Does he have any weaknesses?"

Gaz nodded. "When we were kids, I remembered he was afraid of water. I remember Dib used to throw it on him, and I'm pretty sure it burns him. But he bathes in glue so it doesn't affect him anymore."

Zim shivered at the mentioned of water. "Ugh, that _horrible_ substance."

The agent took the time to write down the information before continuing with the interview. "And what of his character? Is he kind, cruel-?"

"Arrogant." Gaz interrupted with a scowl. "He's unbelievably arrogant."

Zim grinned and snickered.

Once again the information was written down before proceeding. "Anything else?"

Gaz considered it. She had her hands folded in her lap and Zim wished more then anything he could be with her during the interview, though that was obviously out of the question. Gaz's eyes were focused on her hands as she answered. "Once he sets his mind to something, he doesn't quit until he's absolutely positive that there's no hope whatsoever. Even if it's a chance in a million, he's determined and reckless enough to try it anyways, so long as it doesn't endanger anything he owns."

"You make many points about his possessions." The agent noted. Zim's hand curled into a fist. He _really_ didn't like this human. "Is he really that particular about them?"

Gaz relaxed ever so slightly. "Absolutely."

Zim smirked. She was referring to their relationship and to know it calmed her brought him great joy and slight relief.

More notes. "Would you consider Zim in any of the following of these categories; Sociopath. Homicidal. Suicidal. Narcissistic."

"Computer, define the words upon their mention." Zim ordered, confused.

"He's definitely narcissistic." Gaz said with a snort.

"Narcissistic: being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige, and vanity. Placing oneself above others in the population and considering few others to be above or at the same level."

The notes the agent took had allowed the Computer to define the diagnosis without missing anything.

"Anything else?"

"He's got the potential to be a sociopath but he doesn't quite reach all the standards. Zim does have feelings of remorse, he just has very few things he cares about on Earth."

"Sociopath: a person, a psychopathic personality, whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Those of this class cannot feel empathy or love and treat those around them only as victims, often abusing them."

"And that's it?"

"Zim wouldn't kill himself. And like I've been trying to tell you, Zim's a person who only retaliates. So long as you leave him alone, he'll leave you alone, so it's not like he's going around with a hunger for blood. He's an opportunity person when it comes to harming others. If you're going to make yourself a target, he'll gladly treat you like one."

"If he only retaliates, why do you think he started this invasion?"

Gaz took some time to think about this. Zim listened, curious as to what her answer would be. Eventually she started up again. "In my opinion, he probably felt threatened by something that tipped him over the edge. Something that made him feel like he had to take over Earth _now_ or something bad would happen."

"Cryptic, Gaz. Well played," Zim commented, smirking at her unreadable figure.

"Would you think a threat to something he wanted could be that reason?"

"It's possible," she admitted.

The agent wrote some things down before continuing. "What makes Zim strongest?"

"His determination." Gaz replied. "The fact he won't give up on something till long after it's lost."

"How did you two become friends?"

Zim snarled at the screen. "How dare he trick her with such quick questioning!"

Gaz's eyes narrowed, but she answered. "We grew on each other when we were forced to be on the same side. I found a crash site of one of his people, a female Irken. Her ship was in smithereens, but she wasn't in it, according to Zim, who came after I did. While I was looking around, I found a device called a LEECHY. It was malfunctioning, which I didn't know and ended up getting it stuck on my wrist."

"What does a LEECHY look like?"

"A black bracelet, with little crystals all around it." Gaz replied. "It's meant to enhance and control the Irken form of adrenaline. However, I'm human, so it wouldn't respond to me. Also, it wasn't working right. Twice it malfunctioned severely and nearly killed me."

"And I'm assuming Zim saved your life, then?"

"Yes. But that's not why we became friends." Gaz insisted. "Zim and I had a mutual respect for one another. I accepted he was an idiot with potential to be great and he accepted I was a human more advanced then the idiots he'd dealt with. We weren't on speaking terms but once he got stuck with me until he could get the LEECHY off my wrist, we grew a tolerance for each other. And at first we pretended to be friends so we wouldn't have to tell Dib the real reason we were hanging out. Dib, while I love my brother, would've tried to keep me away from the only person who could've helped me."

"But he found out eventually?"

"Yes. When my Dad tried to take us with him on a business trip, I was still being monitored to ensure the LEECHY wouldn't kill me. And he was going to take us to Australia, a ways away even for Zim's ship, called a Voot Runner. So Zim created a realistic robot that he controlled and I temporarily lived with him at his base. But after a few days Dib figured it out and came back. Zim and I were friends by then, since we'd been forced to spend so much time together."

"How did you get the LEECHY off?"

"The people who had attacked the Irken ship, a probably now destroyed race called Valkians, were looking for the LEECHY. I don't know how, but they found me. I eventually surrendered myself, to prevent further trouble for Zim and Dib, because Dib nearly got killed in the first fight to protect me, and that was just dealing with one of them. If it hadn't been for Zim, Dib would be dead. Twice now."

"And the same goes for you." The agent noted. "Hm. What an intriguing coincidence."

Gaz shrugged. "Not really. But anyways, the Queen of the Valkians had me brought to her. She was able to remove the LEECHY herself, with a rather surprising amount of strength and power, and I was thrown into the prisoner cell. Eventually I was rescued by Zim and Dib, who reluctantly worked together to save me."

"And that's your only adventure with Invader Zim."

"No, last year, if you were aware Dib was shot-."

"We are. He was ordered to stand down in his investigations until he recovered."

"Right. Well, a crazy kid seeking revenge from me retrieving a video game he stole when we were kids did that. His name is Iggins. He tried to kill me, Dib, and Zim. Zim because he was pretty sure there was something going on between us and he was jealous."

"I believe a boy named Iggins was in the news last year, for being tortured."

Gaz just smiled.

The guard let out a low whistle and continued writing.

* * *

Eh . . . that's enough.

I'm tired.

You can pretty much see where that line of questioning goes.

Not very exciting after that.

Yes, I know Zim is kind of creepy for spying but still.

Till the next chapter!


	8. Secrets Revealed

Armies and reviewing Zim's tactics.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 8  
''Secrets Revealed"**

Gaz fell asleep on the plane.

She was leaning on Dib in a very brother/sister moment, asleep, still looking like she could jump up and kill you at any minute. Dib glanced down at her before looking out the window. It was a private plane, as all public planes were too crowded by people fleeing the area of the invasion. The news was filled with rumors of the invasion, takeover, and (to Dib's relief) Zim from Skool had been identified as Invader Zim. A part of him was ticked no one had noticed sooner but oh well. At least they'd noticed.

People were being interviewed about how weird he was at Skool, basking in their 15 minutes of fame. And to Dib's shock, someone had remembered that _he_ was the first person to accuse Zim of being an alien.

_Yes!_ Dib shouted in his mind._ I'm not the crazy kid anymore! I'm right! I'm right!_

Actually, the news had tried to get in touch with Dib and Gaz for exclusive interviews. But upon hearing they were unavailable due to government (as far as they were informed) interference, Gaz and Dib were all over the news as well, being identified as friends of the alien before he turned traitor. Despite this news time, Dib didn't tell Gaz about it, lest she go on a murder spree that she was being called Zim's girlfriend regularly. He knew she couldn't handle that right now and wished that she wasn't eventually going to be forced to.

It was only inevitable that Gaz would be asked about it, despite Dib's recommendation to avoid that topic if they wanted her to cooperate.

In a way Dib knew that it was wrong to try and hide things from not only his idols in the form of the Swollen Eyeball, but the U.S. government as well, but Gaz was his sister. And he was her big brother. So as her big brother, it was his job to protect and watch out for her as much as he possibly could.

Gaz ended up sleeping the whole plane ride. The turbulence of the landing woke her up.

Her eyes opened, sitting up. "We're landing?"

"Yup," Dib replied. It was an afternoon flight, but it was a private plane, so really beside guards, they were the only ones there. However, Dib was aware they had other surrounding planes and felt like the president. Decoy planes so there's would be kept safe. Cool. "Still tired?"

Gaz shook her head. "No. So we're landing . . .?"

"In the president's backyard," A guard answered for Dib. "We couldn't risk exposure at an airport."

Both of them stared at him. They were _already_ meeting the president?

"Um," Dib said, unsure what to say. "O-Okay."

Gaz's hands immediately began running through her hair. It was quite an eventful moment, because Dib could see the nerves that were churning in her stomach mirroring her face.

Dib placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nervous?"

She shrugged it off, shooting him a glare. "No."

He smiled sympathetically at her, "Right."

Gaz was about to give a harsh reply when the plane pulled to a stop. It was a small plane, nothing big, so it was easy to land. The bags began being unloaded and Gaz was assisted to her feet (shooting Dib a look of confusion as to why this was necessary) as well as Dib, both led towards the exit. The two were escorted to and down the stairs, and were met with the awing sight of the back of the White House.

Even from so far back, Gaz could hear press shouting from the front, gated off parts of the White House. Dib wished he'd had the chance to shower off and get clean before meeting the president. He was never a fan of planes and always felt gross after being on one.

But he had to suck it up, as all of the important men from before stood waiting for them. Surrounding the area entirely were the Secret Service. The only thing that made them different from the Swollen Eyeball's own team was that _they_ had their insignia on the front and back of their suits. Gaz noticed Dib eyed these with admiration and smirked at him as she reached the bottom of the stairs, waited for him, and then continued on, walking together.

Dr. Membrane was already pointing to them, obviously bragging about his children. So they probably didn't look as gross as they thought from the plane-ride there.

"Are you okay?" She asked Dib, quietly.

He looked absolutely pale but nodded. "Yeah, just . . . scared, I guess. Never thought I'd be _here_, you know?"

Gaz looked forward again at his awkward laugh that followed. She couldn't exactly say the same. She'd figured she'd be part of a rebellion, not playing a witness to the government. This changed things, definitely, but how much? To what extent had the plan been altered?

"Agent Moth-Man, Little Sister," one of the men said, bowing to them. "It's an honor."

At once the two siblings shared looks of disbelief (surprise as well, on Dib's part). Since when did they become like royalty to the most important people in the country?

"Um, thank you, sir." Dib finally said. "It's an honor to meet you, too."

Gaz offered none of the same sentiments. Instead she kept herself level-headed and unreadable, eying them all nonchalantly.

The president cleared his throat. "We'll need to get inside for immediate discussion. I hope that's alright with you two."

"That's fine," Gaz answered, much to everyone's surprise. She glared at their shocked expressions. "What?"

"Nothing." Dib insisted. "Come on, we should go."

Gaz gave everyone suspicious looks as Dib took her arm and lead her inside. She felt very much like everyone was walking on eggshells around her and she couldn't have that if she was to be an important figure. Gaz had to make herself the ideal informant.

Which meant being willing to talk about her relationship with Zim. And probably talk to the news about it as well.

She sighed. If that was the case, so be it.

They were surrounded by guards the whole way inside. And even inside. In fact the entourage of important people and two well-informed young adults were guarded to whole way into the meeting room.

It was the most secretive place Gaz or Dib had ever seen. For once in her life, Gaz was impressed.

It was large, with a long table, but shorter then they'd expected. It was clear this was only used for the most dire of situations, a few seats for guests other than the immediate party of citizens. Gaz wondered how many times this room had been used. Most of the Secret Service waited outside, as well as the Swollen Eyeball members. Only about three of the Swollen Eyeball members stayed with Dib and Gaz.

"Please, take a seat." The Military-dressed man asked, gesturing to two chairs in the middle of the table.

Dib did so nervously. Gaz didn't think twice about it.

"We've been informed of what you know, but we have more questions." The president began, getting straight to the point.

Gaz calmed herself. "What do you want to know?"

"We're going to get to the point, daughter," Dr. Membrane began. "How close were you to Zim?"

Dib flinched, looking worriedly at his sister. But all he saw was a dejected face, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"We were dating." Gaz said, through gritted teeth. "For two years, ending when this started."

The room was silent, staring at her in disbelief. Her eyes looked up to the surrounding people, answering every question she saw in their eyes.

"Yes, I cared about him. Yes, he cared about me. Yes, I think he tried to consider me a possession at the start but I made it very clear that I wasn't going to be owned by anyone. Yes, I knew he was half-crazy. No, he wouldn't hurt me, but now I'm not sure anymore. It _is_ possible he wants to get rid of his past ties but I don't know if he could get rid of me. Yes, I know why he liked me. It's because I never liked the human race. I think the majority of us give it a bad name. No, I was never under the impression he was starting over in taking over the world. I thought he was too incompetent when we were kids and never realized he was getting smarter. No, he didn't use me. He never asked me about Earth or its weaknesses."

"Gaz wasn't trying to withhold information!" Dib said at once, feeling the need to protect his sister. "She just didn't think it was relevant!"

"Is there anything else you're hiding from us?" A scientist-looking man asked, emotionless.

Gaz glanced at Dib, touching her necklace. He stared at her, warily. She wasn't going to tell them, was she?

She turned away, looking back to the cavalry as her hand dropped from her neck. "Nothing. That's all that happened."

The men at the table eyed each other, including Dr. Membrane. But at the moment Gaz felt as if they were all on the same wavelength, thinking along the same plan. And she didn't like it.

Not in the least.

"You must be tired," One of the kinder-looking (and therefor more suspicious) men in suits said to the two of them. "You should rest."

"We'll speak to you in the morning, children." Dr. Membrane assured them. He motioned for two of the guards. "Take them to their rooms and feed them dinner."

"Yes, sir." The Secret Service said, moving to stand next to Dib and Gaz.

Dib was wary about this abrupt ending to the meeting. As far as they were concerned, Gaz had extreme potential to be a traitor. If she wasn't his sister, he'd be thinking the same thing. Gaz was closer than anyone to Zim. And they didn't know how easy it was for her to break off contact with any being, close to them or not, and put them off as 'no longer important'.

They were led to rooms next to each other, rather extravagant rooms. The guards once again stood by the doors, but the rooms were conjoined. A door connected them but allowed privacy, as it could be locked on both sides.

When they'd finished getting settled (finding their bags already in their rooms), Gaz lying on her stomach on the bed and playing her game, there was a knock on the door.

"It's unlocked, Dib." Gaz called, closing her game. She knew he'd want to talk about this.

Dib crept into the room, like a kicked dog. "I'm scared for you, Gaz."

She sighed, motioning for him to sit on the ginormous bed with her. "It's better that I told them now, Dib, before they found out from those stupid kids from Skool. If I look like I'm hiding something, they won't trust me, and I'm the only one who can give an unbiased opinion, you know that. An emotional girl blinded by love wouldn't have been able to find any faults in her boyfriend.

"Good point, but they're grown men. None of them can relate to a teenage girl. They're probably discussing whether or not to hold you as a prisoner right now!" Dib groaned, falling on his back, next to her, on the bed, and turning his head to look at her with a pleading grimace. "You _can_ keep some things about this to yourself, Gaz."

"I know," she insisted, tapping her necklace suggestively. Then she mouthed the word, 'bugged' and jerked her chin towards the room. "Probably didn't think I would figure it out."

Dib stared. He hadn't thought about the room being bugged. But if the statement was ignored, those listening would be suspicious. "Figure what out?"

"That you were worried about me." Gaz insisted, ruffling his hair. A reward of affection for playing along. "You don't need to, Dib. Not unless something happens where worry is just implied."

"Like you being the number one suspect for assisting in treason against America?" Dib questioned, a brow rising.

Gaz laughed, rolling onto her back, mimicking Dib's position. "As hilarious as that would be, I'm not. They'll probably just figure out a way to use our former relationship to their advantage."

Dib scowled at the thought. "Exploiting the weakness of a young girl to get at an alien . . . Sounds like the government."

They both laughed, staring up at the ceiling. They shared a period of silence before Dib spoke up again.

"You know this is going to come down to a fight. You and him."

Gaz turned her head to look at him. "How do you figure?'

"He still wants you, Gaz." Dib said bitterly. "You think that he wants you gone, but if he did, you wouldn't have come home yesterday. We wouldn't be alive right now."

"We? And how do you figure he wants you alive too?"

"I'm still his challenger," Dib pointed out. "Zim always made fun of our government. He thinks they're as stupid as our average classmates. In his mind, no matter what the press or the news says, I'm the best opponent he's got. The Swollen Eyeball and the government might as well be back-up."

"And myself?"

"Like I said, he still wants you. Whether or not you're a possession to him, Gaz, he'll probably find a way to get to you. And unless you fight, he's going to take you." Dib scowled. "I'm over-analyzing this, aren't I?"

Gaz smiled, flicking his the stand of scythe-looking hair on his head. "No. It's a good guess. We know Zim better than anyone on Earth. Gir being the exception."

"Seriously? _Gir_?"

"Zim said he's unnaturally observant when he decides to be."

"He never pays attention to anything! He's a complete _spaz_!"

"But he _is_ made of Irken technology." She smirked at Dib. "Just kind of shows their superiority to us, tech-wise. Even their screw ups can prove great."

Dib let out a disbelieving snort. "Unbelievable."

"You think we stand a chance against him?" Gaz asked, casually, frowning.

Dib sighed. "You know, I don't know. But I think that if we find the right weakness and exploit it, he'll come crumbling down."

"According to those _charming_ men in the other room, that would mean putting _me_ in danger and seeing if he took the bait." Gaz pointed out.

"Not an approach I'm willing to take." Dib said at once, turning his head to look at her. "I wouldn't put you in danger."

Gaz snorted and mock-punched him in the shoulder. "Like anything could prove dangerous to _me_."

"You've been kidnapped. _Twice_."

"I would point out that both times I willingly went, and so it shouldn't prove as a kidnapping."

"With the alien abduction, you've got me, but Iggins had you under his weird . . . hypnosis . . . _thingy_!" Dib said, making a rather messy, frustrated emphasis with his hands. "That should still count, since you weren't willingly under hypnosis!"

"Nope, willing both times." Gaz insisted, folding her arms behind her head. "And whoever is the first to kidnap me, friend or otherwise, is going to be in for a _serious_ hurt."

Dib shivered. "A threat from _you_. Hopefully one not taken lightly."

She eyed him at the insinuation. If their nosy little friends heard their opinion of Gaz being a weakness, they might not hesitate to put her in harm's way and Dib wanted them to know there would be consequences. Gaz smiled at his attempt to keep her safe, however small.

"Right." She yawned, glancing out at the now darkened sky with a slightly child-like, weak expression on her face, rolling back onto her stomach and crossing her arms, laying her chin down on them. "What do you think he's doing, right now, Dib?"

His expression softened, rolling onto his stomach as well. He eyed her slightly dejected but mostly unreadable expression with the sadness only a big brother could feel for his younger sibling. Dib placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Missing you." He said, smiling, hoping that he wasn't putting his foot in his mouth. "And probably trying to get Gir not to blow up all the new shiny toys he has."

Gaz looked at Dib, a full view of her eyes, but it was a mystery what she was thinking. Dib had a feeling that even the greatest face-reader in the world wouldn't be able to see through her lie, if she ever told one. Gaz was just . . . a mystery to everyone, but Dib normally had a general idea of what she was going to do. At least when she was pissed he knew or showing emotion, he could read her like a book. But otherwise, nothing.

She turned away from Dib and said nothing. They spent the night staring at the star-spotted sky until they fell asleep.

* * *

Zim smiled at the men, noticing how on edge they looked.

"We won't give in to you, Invader Zim." The president was saying, looking rather smug. "We've got something that you want."

"Something I want? Yes, you do. I want your allegiances to me, your promise of loyalty to the Irken Empire." Zim said, arrogant as always. But something about their manner bothered him greatly. He placed himself subtly on the defensive, muscles tensing slightly under his garb.

The president smirked further. "No, something much more important. A friend of yours."

"Zim has no friends." He said at once, sharply. "Whoever said otherwise is a liar."

"Oh?" The president made a gesture off-screen. A television was rolled next to him, but it wasn't on yet. "Are you telling me she's a liar?"

The screen turned on and at once, Zim saw Gaz, in a room, asleep, next to her brother. They seemed fine, but the very idea that the government had her in their possession, threatening her, even if it was just an insinuation. His eyes were wide as he stared, unmistakable longing and fear in his eye. The idea had formed in his mind that Gaz was both a threat to the mission and its greatest motivation, but still.

At once his eyes narrowed, choosing his words carefully. "I have no idea know what you are talking about. I have never seen that girl in my life. This conversation is _over_."

"I wouldn't do that," The Vice-President said, quickly, also smug, just before Zim could hang up. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would you?"

The very thought that they would threaten him, the Almighty Zim . . .!

But he wouldn't let them know how frightened he was. Instead he laughed, much to their surprise, and rested his chin on his folded hands. "I very much doubt you have any idea what that girl is capable if you're willing to threaten her well-being."

"I thought you just said you had no idea-."

"Zim is not finished!" He growled, silencing them. They all flinched but pretended they hadn't. "As I was saying, you've no idea what that girl can do. She is a symbol of destruction and should be recognized as such. I warn you inferior worm-babies: Do _not_ threaten her if you value your lives."

"Are you scared of her?" Dr. Membrane demanded, a brow rising.

Zim laughed once more, genuinely this time. He gave them smug looks, his confidence returning. "If you aren't, you should be. Now, since you've amused me, I will give you another day. I will be contacting you around . . . oh, let say I give you two days this time. By then though, I will want an answer. Either you surrender, or I destroy your city and turn your army against you. Be ready by 9 in the morning. Goodbye now."

The transmission cut.

* * *

Mm, better chapter for the next.

Hope you liked this one anyways.

Till the next chapter!


	9. Abducted

UGH! I DELETED THIS CHAPTER BY ACCIDENT!

So now I had to rewrite it entirely. :(

Enjoy my labors of frustration.

* * *

**Chapter 9  
"Abducted"  
**

Dib was kindly asked, in the middle of the night, to move back to his room. It was a mystery why, but he agreed, half-awake, and was vaguely aware he had to be helped into bed. Dib was asleep before his head hit the pillow. He had no idea who was helping him, and maybe it would've made a difference if he'd paid more attention, but it couldn't be helped.

Gaz, on the other hand, awoke with a start.

However, sitting up and looking around, she had no idea why. There was not a soul in sight, not a thing out of place. Unlike the general population, who would've just gone back to bed, Gaz stayed up. In fact she got out of bed instead of just sitting there, stepping soundlessly, eying her room. Something was wrong but she couldn't place it.

Gaz glanced down and frowned at her pajamas. Hardly fighting clothes, if it came down to it.

It didn't, however, because in the end, she was overpowered.

Glass shattering startled Gaz, the giant wall of a window, giving her a beautiful view, now was turned against her. She cried out in surprise, but not fear, lifting her arm above her head to keep the glass from her eyes and face. However before she could further react her arms were bound behind her back and she was restrained. Her foot stomped down on the foot of her captor and they jumped away, but left her with her restraints. Gaz fell onto her knees, trying to step over her wrists.

However suddenly a sharp pain went in her neck, obviously some time of medication. Her mouth opened in a silent scream before a gag was placed around her mouth. She collapsed into someone's arms, blacking out as alarms began to go off.

* * *

Dib woke up to those very alarms and his eyes peeled open, blinking sleepily and confused as he sat up in bed. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and got up, opening his door.

He was with the sight of Secret Service and Swollen Eyeball members alike were running around, speaking into walkie-talkies and looking like they were trying not to panic and control whatever situation was going on. A Swollen Eyeball member (once again only evident by the jacket) stopped upon noticing Dib's staring, his mouth agape. The agent attempted to coax him back inside, insisting all was well.

"What's going on?" Dib demanded, stunned by all the chaos.

"Nothing, Sir," the agent said, once again trying to get him back inside. "Please, go back to sleep."

Dib could never really say how he knew then what had happened. Call it brotherly instinct, an investigator's intuition, or even just plain old common sense, but at that moment Dib's blood ran cold as he realized what had happened.

"Where's Gaz?" Dib breathed. And then he was screaming as he took hold of the agent's coat, "WHERE'S GAZ?"

"Sir, please, control yourself-! Sir!"

The agent followed Dib inside his room as Dib ran to their connecting door, banging on the door. "Gaz?"

Of course there was no answer.

"Gaz?" Dib began yanking violently on the handle. The door was obviously locked. "GAZ? GAZ!"

"Agent Moth-Man, compose yourself!"

"Zim did this," he breathed. "He did this! I'll kill him! I'LL KILL HIM!"

Dib fell shaking onto the floor. The agent assisted him onto the edge of his bed as he sat, hugging himself. For the rest of the day he was unresponsive, no matter who tried to coax him from his stupor. Not even Dr. Membrane could get him to snap out of it as he curled onto his side, staring at the wall for the rest of the day.

* * *

Gaz woke up to a bag being pulled off of her head.

She moved her jaw around, find her mouth was not gagged. So that could mean two things or both; either Gaz was too far away from civilization to be heard or the walls were sound-proof enough to where neighboring people couldn't hear her. The idea that her kidnappers had made a mistake and hadn't thought about an escape attempt was unlikely, since these people had, after all, kidnapped her from the White House.

Gaz eyed the area and found her vision was a bit hazy. Not necessarily blurry, more as she really couldn't focus on anything. Gaz blinked, trying to rid herself of that feeling as she continued to try and get a feel of the room.

It was all white, like a house under construction. The floors and ceiling were white, with a single hanging light in the room. However there was a gray-blue light filtered through the room from a large window. Blinking and squeezing her eyes shut a few times, Gaz found it actually was sliding glass door. She let out an aggravated huff.

"Am I drugged?" She demanded, out loud, irritated.

Someone cleared their throat and Gaz's fluttering vision brought her to the attention of some boxes and chairs off to the side (and, oddly enough, a porcelain sink), where several men in masks were sitting, three of them playing cards around a small table and the fourth watching _her_.

"Yes, a bit." The one away from the poker game (or so she guessed, as Gaz knew she was in no state of mind to be judging anything at the moment) told her. "Sorry about that, orders from the boss."

She sighed, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes to focus on her words. "Alright, I'm going to make something very clear here. I don't care where I am. I don't care who you are. I don't even give a damn who hired you! All I want to know is what day it is and how long I'm going to be here."

The men stared at her in surprise before looking at one another.

"Well," one finally said. "It's Thursday."

A day gone. Great.

"And when you're to be released isn't up to us. It's up to our boss." Another added, shuffling the cards and dishing them out. "So we can't really give you an answer to that one."

Gaz sighed. "Great. Just great."

She eyed them all looking at her.

Then she smirked. "I find it only fair to warn you that as soon as it gets out I'm missing, someone very powerful and very frightening is not going to be happy, and will come after you."

The four of them shared looks again. "Why?"

Gaz's eyes widened before narrowing in disbelief. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"No."

"Should we?"

This was baffling. Maybe Gaz had overestimated her time spent on the news, but as far as she'd seen channel-surfing, Dib and her face seemed to be everywhere. "Don't you watch the news?"

"Well, you see-."

"Um-."

"That's Tony's job!" One finally shouted.

"Yeah!" They all agreed.

Gaz sighed, rolling her eyes. However that gave her a slight headache so she snapped, aggravated now, "Well then I recommend you go get this 'Tony' before this conversation continues."

Finally one of them got up and left the room, leaving Gaz to wonder just how these people had been able to kidnap her from the White House. They didn't seem very bright in certain areas but they were obviously masters at what they were doing. Whoever this 'Tony' person was, he probably was in charge of the information supplier of this team.

Gaz eyed the area once again, looking towards the screen doors once more. Her suspicion about neighbors were confirmed when she saw a city off in the distance. There was probably no one around this area. So no chance of escape then.

Speaking of escape, as she began an attempt to do so, Gaz found her wrists encased in metal, flexible wire. Her eyes narrowed as she thought of the money the government had probably paid to have her kidnapped, gotten rid of. Most likely she was probably bait for Zim. There were probably cameras around to see what he'd do, if he really cared enough for her to retrieve her. Gaz had no doubt in his mind he was.

Which was what frightened her.

What if this was a trap for him?

Gaz wished very much that she could get the answers to what was going on, but she'd already assured them she didn't want anymore answers. Not that she really needed one. Gaz already knew that it was the government and the Swollen Eyeball in charge here.

"So let me guess," She said casually, crossing her legs, which were freed. With a quick glance downward she saw the chair bolted to the floor. Clearly she was not the first person who these men had kidnapped before. "You got an anonymous call with a wired money transfer and really have no idea who you kidnapped me for, huh?"

They said nothing, staring at her.

Gaz snorted. Typical under-the-radar government job. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

At that time this one of the masked men returned, shoving 'Tony' (as Gaz presumed) into the room. Oddly enough, Tony was wearing a lab coat and a pair of large, thick-rimmed eyeglasses. He was a lanky, tall, bow-legged fellow. The type Gaz used to watch get bullied at school. She never had anything against anyone unless they did something worth her wrath, such as giving her a funny look or speaking to her.

"Hey! I was busy! What do you want?" Tony demanded, obviously irritated at being so ruffly handled. He began smoothing out his coat, removing gloves and shoving them into his pockets.

The man jerked his chin over towards where Gaz sat, restrained to the chair. If her wrists had been the only thing bound, it would've been no problem, but round her waist was a belt-like object, strapped to the chair, far more effective then tying the ankles to a chair.

"Who is she?" The man demanded, eying her.

The thing Gaz like most about these men was they _examined_ her, not checked her out. They were leering at her like wild animals, they were very business like about the transaction. She appreciated it.

Tony looked over in her direction and then his eyes practically bugged out of his head, stumbling backwards. He tripped on nothing, hitting the floor on his backside, but even still he continued to recoil from her till he met the wall. Gaz smirked. Just a glance and people were running for the hills.

Whenever she got the chance to tell him, Zim would just _love_ that.

"Y-You _**IDIOTS**_!" Tony shouted, terrified and shaking as he pointed a finger to her. "I told you to _consult_ me before you took a job! Do you have any idea what you've _done_?"

"It was a rush job, now or never! And we don't hear you complaining when you make a buck off of _our_ work." One of the men defended. "The worlds' going to hell in a hand-basket anyways, thanks to that little green guy, so we've got to get the money to enjoy ourselves why we can."

Little green guy?

Tony paled as Gaz shot a death-glare at the man who'd spoken. "You want to talk about Invader Zim?" Tony jerked his chin towards Gaz. "Why don't you ask his former girlfriend?"

Former? Ha, so was everyone assuming she'd left Zim now? Well, better that then the truth.

All the men slowly directed their heads toward her, staying wide-eyed. Nobody said a word, not even after Gaz eyed them all with irritation and suspicion, silently demanding for a response.

"Well?" She finally hissed. "Is someone going to say anything or are you all just going to stand and stare at me?"

They snapped out of it.

"Damn."

"Well this sucks."

"Well think of it this way, boys," Gaz replied, optimistically, smirking at them as she leaned back onto the chair. "I'm not exactly on the best of terms with him right now."

They all gave a heavy sigh of relief.

Gaz had done this, first off, to shut them up and secondly to ensure there wouldn't be any news running around that she was still rather friendly with the alien taking over the world while on a team against him.

From under the table one of the men pulled out a large suitcase and placed it in front of her. Gaz eyed it and then him, a brow raising. "Am I supposed to open this with my mind?" She emphasized her sarcasm by jerking at her bound wrists. Much to her irritation, nothing gave.

The men were filing out of the room (Tony being dragged as he stared after her in horror) until one stopped at the door-frame, turning to answer her question.

"The restraints will be momentarily lifted. We got orders to allow you that bag, but, rest assured, we don't know what's in it. When you're done doing whatever, just sit back down in the chair and the restraints will turn back on."

Automatic self-restraints? These people were _good_.

The door shut behind him and a moment lazer their was a sort of buzzer noise and Gaz found herself freed. Surprised she rubbed her wrist with one hand, getting up slowly to ensure whatever was in her systems didn't screw up her walking. Thankfully she didn't have much of a walk and knelt before it, unzipping it carefully. After all, for all she knew, it could've been a bomb.

However it wasn't, but the contents surprised her far more.

"Deodorant," Gaz said, listing things as she found them. "A toothbrush . . . Toothpaste . . . Water bottle . . . A hairbrush . . . Clothes . . . What the hell?"

It looked more like an overnight bag (for an extended trip of nights) then anything else. So maybe the government wasn't trying to kill her, they were just trying to get her out of the way for a while until the subject of her innocence was discussed and handled properly. Typical. Push the problem aside until unbiased thought could be guaranteed when it was away long enough.

"Well, this is some pre-birthday present," She muttered, holding up the first garment in the suitcase.

A dress that cinched at the waist, but flared out to her knees from there in a very summery sort of design. It was a casual dress, not one to be worn to a fancy party but more of a walk in the park. It was gray with white pattering all over it and puffy sleeves that hung off the shoulders.

"_Well_ . . . " she eyed her still pajama clothed body with a sigh. "Whatever."

Gaz used the sink to brush her teeth, using the water bottle to rinse her mouth out with. She cleaned herself as well as the supplies allowed, not sure when she would get the chance again. When Gaz was done she figured she looked nice enough in a probably flattering dress. But the only reason she was doing so was because if what these men had said was true and it was Thursday, tomorrow was her birthday. And she might as well look nice for her birthday, even if she was spending it kidnapped and not with family.

When she was done Gaz sat back in the chair, no shoes on, and putting her wrists behind her back. There was another little hum of machinery just before the wire snapped around her wrist and the belt clipped around her waist.

She blew her hair out of her face. "I'm done!"

* * *

The president smirked at Zim, hiding his fear like the other men in the room.

"So this is what we mean to say, Invader Zim." He said, hands relaxed in his lap. "Either you retreat from your mission, or we kill the girl."

Zim eyed Dr. Membrane, whose face was unreadable. He gave him a look of complete disgust. This was one of the men who Gaz respected, of about 3 people in the world, and he wasn't even defending her life. He was her _father_ and he looked as if he couldn't care less.

"Curious how you're so calm about this situation when your daughters life is on the line," he commented, giving Dr. Membrane a look of reproach. "It appears you're more concerned with your business ventures then your children, something I'm sure she'll be glad to hear about, whenever I find her."

Abruptly the president's mannerisms changed, ever so slightly, but it was more then enough to notice them. "Find her? Why, she's with us, Invader, as we said-."

Zim sighed, "No, you ignorant buffoon, she isn't, and you know it. While your attempt to fool me was admirable, you fail miserably."

"YOU took her!" One of the men in suits shouted, his face turning red with anger as he stood and pointed at Zim. "You're the one who kidnapped the girl so we wouldn't have anything on you!"

Zim snorted, rolling his eyes. "You might have had a point, Congressman, if some fool hadn't attempted to break into my security systems to deliver me a message for her ransom. However, unfortunately for you, they just wanted money, not my surrender."

Dr. Membrane, however hard he was trying to hide it, was now paying excruciating attention to Zim. At once Zim became a bit more relieved, for Gaz's sake, since he was getting assurances now that her parent _did_ give a damn about her, at least a little bit.

"Rest assured, I will retrieve her. However, I don't trust you to care for her anymore. _If_ I give her back, it will be to someone I know has her best interests at heart." Zim replied with a wave of his hand. "However, Zim has grown tired of your pitiful threats. The invasion of your armies against you starts at night fall, congratulations. Your incompetency and refusal will cost you lives, depending on how cooperative your citizens are."

They stared at him in horror.

He smirked. "Let's just see if the average common folk has more common sense then a bunch of men with too much and too little power, yes? I trust that when next I contact you, I expect a surrender. Goodbye."

And it was over just like that.

* * *

CONFUSION ON PURPOSE!

Dib thinks Zim kidnapped Gaz (but Zim says he didnt) . . .

Gaz thinks the government kidnapped her (but they say they didn't) . . .

SO . . . Is one of the lying, or is a third party involved?

WAIT TILL NEXT CHAPTER TO FIND OUT!


	10. Gaz's Birthday Present

I'm sorry, I have to respond to some of these comments.

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 9  
Third party is Tak right? You said you were bringing her back. She's got the motive (not revenge!) She just wants to take over the earth, too, and its easier to over throw a dictator than to actually take each world power down one by one, so, really, she should have waited a little while longer, but... Well, that's what I'd do. But I'm not Tak.)

Or is Skoodge playing both (or all) sides against each other?

Ooooooor is Skoodge just PRETENDING to play both sides against each other, to confuse the world powers that Zim is taking down one by one? To, ultimately, catch the US in a political pincer strike. This is a one time strategy but depending on the presentation, could work as an effective fear tactic and... I need to shut up now.

I think this one might turn out to be the best of the three, plot-wise.

**I'm sorry, I had to laugh at this. Clearly you overestimate my brains convoluted ways. While I am psychotically brilliant, I could never focus enough to make a plan like a pincer strike.**

**Also, that would be way too easy to have her come up like that. YOU. WILL. NEVER. GUESS.  
MUAWAHAHAHAHAHAH! And Skoodge is too much of a background character to play anyone like that. **

**P.S. Stumbled upon your story and then realize you'd been reviewing me shortly after, since I check these reviews every single day. Like, hourly because I love reading ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS. Anyways, just had to say that and I LOVE EET. :D**

sikeokilla

Chapter 8  
Dear raven follower I apreciate your work. In fact this series is one of my favorites due to several facts. #1 you update often. #2 your story is interesting and descriptive. and #3 you just do a really good job of working everything out logically in character without being so canon it's boring

You have me on the edge of my seat asking "what's next" and I can just imagine you looking back coyly and saying "only time will tell"

Jovially yours

The sikeokilla

EWC

**First off, you wrote this like a letter, and I therefor love you because letters are so neat to me (yes I'm weird, this should've been established by now)! And I update often because, um, you're all going to kill me now, but I'm up to Chapter, eh, 22?**

**YES, STOP YELLING, I KNOW I'VE ONLY GIVEN YOU TEN CHAPTERS! But I update like, every other day, so calm down!**

**Hehehe, my brain is crazy. At first I thought you said 'deceptive' not 'descriptive' that could just be because I'm reading this at 1 in the morning. But I thank you anyways!**

**Canon . . . who wants to laugh because I have no idea what that is? -_-**

**SOMEONE TELL ME! (I'm probably going to get like, twelve response reassuring me and answering me now).**

**And you can readjust your seat now, the chapter is here!**

KotaWingz

Chapter 6

Oooooh! An epic base! Go Zim go! Go Gaz go! Although,I want them to win, I don't want anything bad to happen to Dib cause he's one of my faves... But whatever! I'll still love this story no matter what happens.

**O.o Holy hell, a Dib-lover! Good to know that Dib has someone shipping him out there. Everyone always calls him a whiny little bitch, cause he never wins but you know, he actually does win most of the time. Poor Dib.**

**He's still pretty whiny though. Not a bitch.**

**_Well_****-.**

Potatoes4Eva

Chapter 5

I think you spelled "Skoodge" wrong. Or... I think it's spelled Skoodge. I have no idea. I'll have to do some research...

Eep! :D This chapter made me all excited-y! It was written so amazingly epic! Very fast paced, snd in a deinste good way. :D I can't wait for more! :D

**THANK YOU! OH MY GOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS! I WENT THROUGH ALL MY CHAPTERS AND FIXED THIS SO THANK YOU!**

**Geez, really guys, this is the things I love; when people point out mistakes like mixing character names up or spelling things wrong. Sometimes I go back and fix grammar but that normally bothers me when people are like, "You got the 'their' mixed up, it should be 'there". I just want everyone to know that I only recently (like, last year) learned the difference between all the 'theirs'. It's annoying. Who else thinks that?**

Time to read!

HOT TIME!

Because I've neglected your fantasies, and I had a dream of my own last night. Totally inspiring (in a not-perverted way) for my story!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 10  
"Gaz's Birthday Present"**

Gaz was injected with drugs again, after one of them left the room and received a call from their 'anonymous employer'.

She awoke, vaguely, to mutterings of a quiet conversation. She was aware it was dark in the room but she yawned, simply falling back asleep. She drifted in and out of consciousness when she heard words softly spoken in her ear. Her eyes fluttered open to see the room was dark and, slightly delirious still, her eyes roamed to the glass door. It was night, that was for sure. Gaz wasn't sure if she was just that drugged or what, but she swore she could faintly hear sirens in the distance, see the town. Was there a fire . . .?

"What?" She breathed, eyes blinking harshly to try and clear the haze.

The figure, still speaking into her right ear, moved in front of her. Before she could see it, its tongue filled her mouth.

For a moment Gaz screamed in surprise, thinking her kidnappers had changed their mind about being respectful to her. She was about to knee her attacker in the groin when the tongue wrapped around hers, pulling tightly and silencing her scream forcibly. Her eyes snapped open, the surprise sobering her.

She knew that move.

Very gently, carefully, they released their hold on her, the tongue slipping out of her mouth. Their face hovered in front of her, eying her with large, silent and slightly apprehensive eyes.

"I found out recently I love you." He informed her, casually.

Gaz stared at him. "S-Since when?"

He smiled, stroking her cheek. "A few days ago. Tuesday I think. But I needed to say it to you."

Gaz's face fell. "So _you_ set this up, then? You're an idiot, Zim. What if we're caught?"

Zim just chuckled darkly. "No need to worry. I've staged the perfect cover story. I needed to see you, Gaz."

"This is reckless," Gaz hissed, scowling.

"I _miss_ you." He whined, holding her face in his hands. "It's unbearable. Your stupid country keeps stalling their takeover, and they continue to threaten your well-being. I can't just _leave_ you there!"

Gaz realized then her arms were freed as Zim lifted her up, holding her against his chest. She couldn't quite feel her legs, so he was supporting all of her weight, but he didn't even seem to notice, let alone mind.

"You're going to have to," Gaz insisted, but she was sympathetic. Once again the flicker of flames caught her eye and she looked out the glass doors to see a fire now lit up the left half of the city. Her brow rose. "Starting already?"

"A bit of persuasion to help things move along," he assured her, cupping her chin and turning her face back to him. "But enough of that. Do you remember what day it is?"

It took her a second, the last of the fog clearing. "If it's Friday, my birthday."

"Correct!" Zim said at once, smiling at her, running his fingers across her jawline. "And I couldn't _not_ say Happy Birthday to you. What kind of 'boyfriend' would Zim be then?"

"You said you loved me," Gaz realized, eyes widening, the full effect finally hitting her. "You _. . . love_ me."

Zim laughed, seeming pleased by her reaction. "That's also correct."

Gaz gripped his collar tightly, tensing, an odd terror running through her. It was embarrassing to say, as she sounded so dependent and needy, but she needed to know. "You aren't going to make me stay away from you longer, are you?"

"We've got no choice!" Zim said, sympathetically, though there was disapproval in his eye that showed he didn't like it any more than she did. "That's why I'm here, to spend more time with you, before we're separated again. But don't worry, it won't be long. We'll trade soon, and I'll contact your brother about the last of the arrangements, to get a _proper_ rebellion started."

Gaz stared at his red eyes through the dark. All was quiet through their intense moment, just looking and holding one another.

"I missed you too," Gaz finally, said, quietly.

That admission of emotion was all Zim needed.

He captured her mouth with his, forcing his tongue inside once more. Gaz was suddenly flooded with heat from head to toe, blushing furiously. She was never going to get used to this emotion Zim felt for her, the fact that he loved her now. It was strange. Sure, Dib loved her like a sister and maybe her father loved her, but this was just different.

It almost scared her.

But the way Zim almost cradled her against him made her feel . . . safe.

Gaz hated feeling so attached to someone but at the same time, this was what she had signed up for. An eternity of this, being with Zim, having him keep her protected and cared for.

She inhaled sharply as Zim's gentle cradling was suddenly a tight squeeze, talons digging slightly into her waist as he held her. Gaz hooked her arms under his, and raked her nails down his back. Zim groaned into her mouth and suddenly she felt her feet leave the floor as she was spun around. Her back collided with the wall as she was pressed up against it.

"I want to give you the world, Gaz," he breathed, vicious somehow, growling seriously but gently in her ear. "And I _intend_ to."

A shiver tore through her spine at how hot his breath was in her ear, almost unnaturally so, making her eyes squeeze shut tightly. The shudder seemed to please him though, motivating him all the more. Zim's hands intertwined with hers, their hands moving next to their heads. Gaz opened her eyes to find Zim looking at her. As she stared at him she felt his lips curve against hers in a smirk as he removed his mouth from hers, letting her breathe, diving for her neck instead.

It was so much easier to let him 'indulge' now. She wasn't so defensive, so guarded as she had been when this had started.

She was able to enjoy it instead of feel frustrated and uncomfortable she was allowing someone to be so close to her. Even though Zim was well aware from the start that she enjoyed it, it was still nicer for her to admit it freely instead of having to coax it out of her.

Gaz reached a hand up to stroke his antenna and immediately felt him tense and bite her neck, out of instinct. She smirked. Many times since the first warning, Gaz had nearly crossed the line when it came to playing with Zim's antenna. She was well aware that if she wasn't careful, Zim might hurt her by complete accident, but it was always funny to see how riled up he got when she ignored those warnings. Always upon touching them, even if her hand just barely brushed one, Zim gave her a silent warning by being rough and abrupt with her in some way or another. Gaz wasn't sure if he could help it or he was just reminding her but either way, she thought it was particularly amusing.

"I missed this," Zim hissed in her ear, sucking just below it afterwards.

Gaz snorted. "So you didn't miss me, just what you could do to me?"

Zim growled at her, "Why must you turn all of my signs of affection into negatives?"

She snickered, hitching her leg up around his hip. "It's just so fun to see you get riled up."

His hands dug into her waist again, growling with less irritation and more arousal. "Oh, you'll regret that."

Zim's hand slid up her thigh and Gaz's breath caught in her throat. Noticing this, Zim paused, his head bent down towards her neck. There was a moment of complete stillness before he spoke, very quietly.

"You asked if we were compatible," He said, seriously. "And we are."

Gaz swallowed hard. Did that mean he was going to . . .?

"But," he continued, retracting that hand. "I want you to give yourself to Zim only when I know I have you."

"What do you mean by that?" Gaz breathed, eyes narrowing as she grasped at her senses.

Zim locked eyes with her. "Zim wants to marry you, Gaz. In the eyes of your culture and mine, I intend on marrying you. Look!" He was suddenly more energetic, his mood swings just on the brink of being bi-polar, as usual. He reached into his PAK and pulled out a metal, black box with glowing wires running across it. "I even followed the strange tradition of bringing jewelry in a box to propose the idea of marriage."

"You're . . . proposing?" Gaz's brow rose as he stepped away from her (but not very far). "Why?"

Zim made a contemplative face. "I remembered you talking about it, however briefly, and studied it more. When a male on your planet loves a female, and has had time to mull over the decision, he often offers her a proposal. So, following this one of your human customs, I'm here to ask you to marry me."

"Mm," Gaz eyed the box before looking up at Zim. "Well can I see the ring?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Zim replied, getting down on one knee and scowling. "Now, I've no idea why the male has to get down on _one_ knee, not both, to do this, but all of the movies I saw said to and did so, and so I am as well."

Gaz snickered at how irritated he was by this and waited with her arms crossed. Zim scowled at her smug expression and opened the box, with both hands. He popped it open and Gaz's eyes widened. She hadn't expected a diamond, in fact, she'd expected him to give her a plain old rock, at best. Zim still didn't know much about the emotional aspects humans put to tradition, and she wouldn't have blamed him.

However, the material the band was made up of was unbelievable.

She blinked rapidly, just staring at it. Eventually, impatiently, Zim took her hand and removed the material, slipping it on her left hand ring-finger. At least he'd done enough studies to know which finger it went on.

"Well do you like it?" Zim demanded, when she examined her hand for a considerable amount of time.

Gaz just nodded. "Mhm. Weirdest birthday present ever but that's fine."

He sighed in relief, standing up. "So you are willing to marry Zim, then?"

"Eh, sure, why not?" Gaz replied with a shrug. "How am I going to explain this to Dib and the government, then?"

"See how it glows a bit?" Zim asked, taking her hand and holding it up to the moonlight. "That's because I injected a bit of star-matter into it. The effect, however, is convenient for a cover story. You will tell them that I warned you, should you take this off, or anyone attempts to harm you, a state will explode, but I refused to tell you which one. You can tell them I wanted to apologize for my actions against your planet, and that I wanted to ensure a part of me could be with you while I was away."

Gaz played with the little band. There wasn't a jewel on it, but it seemed Zim had wanted the jewel to be the band. She had no problem with it, as Gaz was never one to follow traditional ways.

"Convincing," Gaz said approvingly, looking back at him. "Well, I can officially say this is the weirdest birthday I've ever had."

"But pleasant as well?"

"That too."

Zim beamed proudly, kissing her on the forehead. "Zim designed that ring specifically for you. It will keep an eye on your health for me, while I am away."

Gaz's brow rose, irritation filtering into her eyes. "You think I need someone to watch out for me constantly?"

Ignoring her expression, he kissed her tenderly, feeling and tasting the bitterness she held for him at the moment as he slid his lithe tongue along her tense bottom lip. Instinctively, Gaz's mouth parted slightly and he smirked at his triumph over her, even when she was a bit cross with him. His mouth encased hers roughly, breaking the gentle touch for a few seconds, before pulling away, smugly. There was an unidentifiable taunt in his eyes that made Gaz want to hit him, especially when he had the audacity to kiss her so passionately while he knew very well she was angry.

"Regardless of my opinions," he said, tongue sliding along his teeth in a way Gaz just sort of knew was a taunt. "It does it anyways."

Gaz let out a huff, blowing a strand of disheveled hair out of her eyes.

"I will contact your brother soon, and begin sending you letters with Irken lettering. You _can_ read Irken writings now, correct?"

"Yes," Gaz assured him, flicking his forehead lightly. Despite the gentleness of the touch, Zim's face still scrunched up at its intended harshness. "You do know what that makes us now, doesn't it?"

"Yes! I looked this up as well, en . . . en_gaged_ is the word, correct?" Zim's antenna rose hopefully.

"And you're my fiancé," She added. "And I'm yours."

Zim growled his satisfaction, teeth bearing in a playful smile. "It's official now, then? I own you?"

"Shut up," she hissed, shoving him away from her. "That's not what I meant."

"But you said it," He pointed out, scooping her up in his arms. "I think I've kept you long enough, then. This has been a very productive meeting indeed but the two of us have got roles to play."

"And you've just made mine more complicated." Gaz informed him, leaning against his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. "So where are you taking me and why can't I walk there?"

"To my ship. My helpers were paid to leave the area for the night. I'm going to drop you off at a site and wire the coordinates to your brother. Whether he chooses to bring his new powerful, stupid friends is his choice, but I'll be sending a message with the coordinates. Hopefully, if he's smart, he'll decide to go by himself. This won't get fun until he gets his own troops. And I just like holding you."

"Of course not," Gaz agreed, ignoring that last remark in favor of the ones about her brother. "So are you going to leave me tied to a chair, or, what?"

"As much as I like the idea of having you tied up at my mercy until the Dib-filth arrives, no. I planned on leaving you in a National Park, so he has to break in." Zim replied, smirking at her. "A fun idea, yes?"

She rolled her eyes and yawned, nodding against his chest, too tired to care about his filthy remark before his explanation. "Sure. Whatever."

Zim eyed her figure in his arms, holding her tightly and sighing with content. He wasn't quite sure when he was going to see Gaz again, and the drugs he'd given her to reverse the first ones were starting to wear off. Once she got actual sleep, they would wear out of her system, but her body was temporarily suspended in a frozen state, so she wouldn't be uncomfortable while she waited until he had a free moment to come retrieve her, even for a short while.

He loaded her into the Voot Runner, smiling to himself as she curled up against him, on his lap still. He set it to autopilot, leaning his head against hers as she slept, his antenna rubbing against her hair. He gave a content little noise, kissing her forehead and scowling at the thought that he would have to give her up soon.

But he'd had _some_ time, at least.

"Hmph," he smirked, stroking her face gently. "I'm sure Gir will be cross with me for not allowing him access to this little visit as well."

Of course, she didn't say anything, as she was asleep, but he didn't mind much. If being away from Gaz for a while ended up for her benefit (because he was truly staying alive only for her sake), so be it. He'd suffer through the pain of separation with his chin held high.

When they landed at the drop point, Zim sighed as he contemplated his next move. He was about to call Dib. So should he be respectful and move Gaz off of his lap and release her from his cradle-hold, or let her remain there to show Dib that Zim had never stopped loving her?

In the end he compromised, loosening his hold on her but keeping her on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. However they were only able to be viewed from the torso up, so he wouldn't see her on his lap, and hopefully wouldn't assume so.

He hit dial.

There were a few rings before a rather dazed look Dib appeared on the screen, staring past the computer. "Who's calling?"

Zim smirked viciously. Oh, how he'd missed these calls. "Hello, _Dib_!"

At once Dib snapped out of his stupor, looking at the screen and staring in disbelief. "ZIM! I knew that it was you who-!"

"Keep your voice down, you little Earth-monkey!" Zim growled, interrupting him as he glared through narrowed red eyes. "Do you want to alarm your foolish babysitters of your call, or do you want your little sister back?"

Dib was silent, eyes glancing around suspiciously before leaning in towards the screen, speaking quietly. "The place is bugged anyways, most likely."

Zim let out an uproarious laugh. "HA! _That's_ a good one! As if I'd ever risk anyone peaking in on a conversation they weren't present for! No, stupid, filthy Dib-stink, even if they did bug your room, my transmission would frazzle and corrupt their listening devices. So if they're listening live, we haven't got much time to discuss things, so I suggest you listen."

"Why would you give Gaz back?" Dib demanded instead.

Zim's brow rose, his fingers curling around her just a tad tighter at the idea. But it was also a protective move, for Dib's question hadn't sounded quite right to him. "Do you not _want_ her back? My apologies, I assumed you'd want to spend time with her, especially on her birthday. Very well, I must have misunderstood and overestimated your concern. I'll leave you to-."

"No! That's not what I meant!" Dib interrupted, shaking his head in panic at the idea of losing the chance to get Gaz back. "I just . . . Zim, do you love her or not? Don't deny you love her! I know you do! _No matter how much it sickens me to admit it_."

The last part was a grumble, but it was still well heard by Zim.

Zim, however, remained calm and smug. "I never denied it. In fact I told her, tonight."

"Why would you just give her up then, if you love her?" Dib demanded, suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

Zim scowled. "I _don't_ want to give her back, Dib, but I am, out of courtesy to you and your father. The reason I took her, however, Dib, was because I don't trust that little group of miscreants who are trying to overthrow me. They threatened Gaz, something I cannot allow. You know very well it's hopeless, at least, _their_ attempts are."

Dib made a face at him. "What are you saying, Zim?"

He beamed, a smirk of complete superiority. "Only this, Dib-worm. I'll let you have your sister back and keep her, temporarily, _if_ I'm confident she's safe wherever she is away from me."

"Meaning?"

"_Meaning_," Zim growled, getting frustrated with the dense sibling of his love. "Either you stay away from the Swollen Eyeball and the government, or I simply won't give her back to you. Think of it this way, Dib-monkey. A parent isn't going to let someone irresponsible handle their child, would they?"

"That's creepy to compare Gaz to your child when you're claiming to love her at the same time," Dib insisted, making a face of disgust.

Zim rolled his eyes. "But you understand the analogy nonetheless. You can keep Gaz so long as you're taking care of her, Dib-beast. And I know that while you hate me and I wish you were dead with every fiber of my being, we _do_ agree on this one thing; that your sister's safety is our priority."

Dib eyed Gaz, asleep, leaning comfortably on the one person he wished never existed in his life. "Yeah."

"Good. Then we have an understanding." Zim said, pleased.

Dib glared at Zim. "You just want me cut off from allies, so I can't fight you!"

"On the contrary," Zim laughed wildly a moment before continuing. "I never saw _you_ at my meetings with the president, even if your father was. In fact, Dib-creature, if it hadn't been for the press, I never would've known you were involved at all!"

That was untrue, as Zim knew Gaz's (and therefor Dib's, since he stuck to her like glue) whereabouts constantly thanks to his tracking device and satellites. But Dib didn't need to know that, now did he?

Regardless, the message was clear to Dib. He was being used, no matter how much he tried to deny it. No matter how many or what form of respectful terms they used, he was every bit an observer as Gaz was. And that wasn't going to do Earth any good. Dib needed to get out there, to do his part, otherwise his planet was doomed. He was irritated it took a remark from Zim to make him realize it that but better late than never.

"I'll leave as soon as I can, Zim." Dib threatened, pointing at the screen. "And when I get a group together, I'm coming after you. You aren't going to take over this world and keep my sister from me!"

"I look forward to the event." Zim replied, smugly, stroking Gaz's hair absentmindedly. "It should prove to be a most entertaining battle."

However, Dib noticed the small sign of affection and glared venomously at his renewed enemy. "When are you going to give Gaz back?"

"Eh?" Zim's brow rose before he recovered, nodding. "Oh yes, right! I will be sending you coordinates to a National Park you are to retrieve her at. I will be there, but you will not see me, Dib, so don't even bother bringing weapons just yet. Your sister isn't very happy with me at the moment, though, so when next we meet, it probably won't be on the best of terms."

It was finally Dib's turn to laugh. "Ha, you told you that you loved her and she's _mad_ at you? Serves you right for abandoning her!"

Zim's eyes widened at the accusation and his gaze filled with horror for a long moment, much to Dib's amusement. This had just started and already he was getting the one up on Zim, just like old times.

Then Zim's eyes narrowed and Dib wasn't so confident as Zim's talon stroked Gaz's defenseless face, moving down to stroke her arm up and down in a very deliberate and somehow threatening manner.

"Be careful what words you throw Zim's way, insolent human boy-ick." Zim growled, warningly. "I don't have to give Gaz back, and frankly, I don't quite trust you to take care of Gaz. So be warned, Dib, I _will_ be watching and as soon as you show the slightest incompetence, I will take her back, Dib. Just because she's unhappy with being ill-informed doesn't mean she doesn't love me the same as before."

"She doesn't love you!" Dib shrieked, angrily. "How could she love someone who was changing her entire way of living, a way she was fine with before you had to go screw it all up?"

Zim bared his teeth, shrieking back, "You **_DARE_**-!" But he only ended up quieting himself as he glanced down at Gaz, calming down. "She loves me, stupid Dib-monkey. And she knows I only ever do anything for her."

Dib's face scrunched up in confusion. "What are you-?"

"Zim is DONE SPEAKING WITH YOU!" He shouted with finality, glaring at Dib. "Now hurry up and come get her, Dib-filth, before I change my mind."

Dib was left with a blank screen before Irken lettering appeared, morphing into English.

He glared. Gaz couldn't love Zim. No way.

. . . Right?

* * *

Aw, poor Dib.

HE'S SO USED!

I like pizza. I'm ordering it online.

YAY INTERNETS!

I recently found out Richard Horvitz, the voice of Zim, supports ZATR. I think that's hilarious he has a favorite.

Also, he's okay with ZAGR and will have nothing to do with ZADR. YAY RICHARD HORVITZ!

Pretty crappy marriage proposal, huh?

THAT'S HOW ZIM ROLLS, BITCHES! BD

Till the next chapter!


	11. Necessary Allies

MORE COMMENTS! I knew the whole "cannon" thing was going to result in a bunch of comments.

I RESPOND TO YOU ALL ANYWAYS!

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 11

"YOU. WILL. NEVER. GUESS."?  
Challenge accepted:  
Guess one: Tak is a ghost. She is going to use her new ghostly form to spy on Zim and report back to Dib, (but she'll report it half wrong, therefore screwing them both over.)  
Guess two: Tak is actually vacationing somewhere (inland, so as to avoid water) surrounded by exotic hotties, and dose not give a shit that Zim's taking over. She only get up in arms when Zim accidentally bombs her chaise lounge. Or Dib crash lands a fighter plane into the luxury hotel. Or both. Her (NOT REVENGE!) will be swift.  
I'll think of more later. IN THE MEANTIME:  
Cannon: What is true in any given series so far as the series is concerned. for IZ, cannon would be anything that happened in the show, or is officially stated to be true.  
AND:  
What are you talking about? That was the best proposal ever! It was on her birthday and everything! That was great, it shows how much Zim really cares about Gaz, and it shows a great deal of character growth. And planning. And obsessiveness.  
Oh, and I totally want to see Dib flip out more. It's his natural element.

**AHAHAHAHAHA, (*snicker*). I admire your efforts, but no. I don't know if Irkens COULD be ghosts, since theoretically they are machines and have no souls (WHICH I REFUSE TO BELIEVE). The vacationing thing was a good guess, but no, I never thought to introduce her like that.**

**And thanks for the cannon explanation.**

Invader Johnny

Chapter 10

I'm surprised that Horvitz liked ZATR, according to the comentary of the TAK episode he ships ZAGR, All in all I find that piece of information amusing.  
Heh, Zim's proposal was both traditional AND a bit homicidal, XD, typical.  
And what's best is that Gaz said yes, um I wonder what an Irken wedding is like.  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**WHAT? Where is this commentary? I WANNA SEE! D:**

**It won't be an Irken wedding. In an explanation to what permanent ties to another being are (basically marriage but using the definition instead of the word, cause there's no marriage for Irkens) it's the reason this story is rated M.**

**:D**

**You're grinning. I know you are.**

sanzo-forgetme-plz

Chapter 10

my god i love ur work ur trully talented am a huge fan of ur work and i cant belive u rated this story M it really took me by serprise but am cerious what made u decide this? and i love the proposal sene by the way «eh why not?» soooo gaz

**The reason for M won't be up till chapter 22, I will warn you all this now (I'm on Chapter 23, 12 chapters ahead of you. NOBODY YELL AT ME FOR NOT POSTING THEM, I'M TRYING TO DELUDE THE FLOW A BIT SO AS NOT TO OVERWHELM YOU AND GIVE YOU LIKE A DAY OR SO TO READ MEH STORY!)**

**And thanks, nice to know I'm keeping these characters . . . in character, for lack of a better word.**

Potatoes4Eva

Chapter 10

*blushes and waves hand bashfully* My comment was in the story! I feel like a celebrity! *gets out of limo to sign autographs* It was a pleasure to help! :D Taha!  
The marriage proposal made me so happy! Zim may not be too romantic, but he can be adorable. :D Dang, these chapters just et better and better and better!

**I just put this in here so you could be all happy again and I can laugh.**

**YOU ARE WELCOME.**

xoAmaxi

Chapter

Weeeeeeewhh! That was good. VERY GOOD. Zim finally told Gaz he loves her. And THEY'RE ENGAGED? CAN THIS STORY GET ANY MORE INTERESTING? THIS MEANS THEY CAN FINALLY MAKE BABEHS!  
I mean, love. Yes... love...  
Haha. The proposal was sooo Zim-like, perfectly done, bahah. That little diamond is bond to cause some problems when/if Dibbers sees it.  
You continue to write this story so well - it's descriptive, it's unique, it's still in-character enough and it's incredibly seductive.  
AND RICHARD HORTIVS IS AMAZING FOR CHOOSING ZATR! I squealed with joy when I discovered that!  
Thankyou for such a quick update! I can't wait to find out what happens next!

**A little 411 on Zim's reproductive methods in meh story:  
While he and Gaz are , eh, _physically compatible_ (keeping it clean for now) Zim cannot get Gaz pregnant. Their systems just don't work like that and unless Zim scientifically fuses their genes together, they cannot have babehs.**

**Sorry if your bubble has been burst. :(**

**Also, NO SEX TILL MARRIAGE. I'm so adement about that in general and refuse to have unwed sex (for my main characters *wink* *hint*) in my story!**

**Just saying.**

**Thanks for the review!**

Invader Shade

Chapter 10

EPIC AWESOMENESS! PLEZ HURRY ON THE NEXT ONE! I READ THIS WHOLE SERIES IN ONE DAY! THATS HOW MUCH I 3 IT!

**O.o  
Holy hell that's like, 188,276 words in this series (not including this chapter) and 44 chapters!**

**HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT IN ONE DAY?**

**Congrats. I'm impressed.**

ninjacookie101

Chapter 10

:P I loved this chapter! You are my favorite author and whenever i think of your story and how excited i am for you to update i squeal and jump up and down! That doesnt really go well in church but still! update soon!:D

**AHAHAHAHAHA! Church. Good time, good times.**

**Translation: I'm not allowed in church because when I was a toddler in mass, someone turned to me and said "Peace be with you", holding their hand out. I stared at them, screamed "Stranger danger!" and ran, still screaming, at the top of my lungs from the church.**

**Yeah, didn't go well with the priests.**

**THANKS FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASM! KEEP INTERRUPTING MASS!**

sikeokilla  
Chapter 10

Dear raven follower actually more people should get ahead and only give a little over a short period of time... it would lead to less eternal hiatus and cut down on tardiness.  
Canon is the term used to describe mainstreamness Ex: a canon relationship in twilight (I know groan all you like but that's all that comes to mind)is bella and edward.  
Love the direction that this story is taking, please keep doing what you do best...killing people. Oh wait that was the other guy  
Happily yours  
The sikeokilla  
EWC

**Hehehe, Twilight. Good book, shitty mainstream movies.**

**Thanks for explaining cannon!**

**And no one can prove those murders! MWAHAHAHAHA**

**Lesson Here: The perfect murder is where your victim knows who killed them, and where you do not get caught.**

Another give away chapter title.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 11  
"Necessary Allies"**

"Nggh," Gaz groaned, sitting up and placing a hand on her forehead. She felt like crap. "Stupid Zim and his stupid drugs."

"So he drugged you then?"

Gaz whipped her head around, ignoring the spike of vertigo to glare at the scientist and doctors currently looking at her. Dib was nowhere to be seen, despite what Zim had said about only calling him. So maybe the idiot _did_ bring the cavalry then.

"No, someone he hired did. Anonymously. They wouldn't know anything." She informed them, shaking her head to get the last of the fuzz out. "How did I get here?"

"Agent Moth-Man was caught leaving a National Park." The scientist said, eying her over his eyeglasses. "He was carrying _you_."

"Are you alright?" Another female doctor asked her, placing her hand on her forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Groggy," Gaz growled, leaning away from her touch. "And otherwise fine. How long have I been asleep?"

"Just a few hours," the same doctor replied, smiling at her. "Happy Birthday, by the way, Little Sister."

"Agent Moth-Man told us." Another male doctor added, not quite as friendly, writing down something on a clipboard. "You are 18 now, correct?"

"Yes," She replied, warily, eying the people in the room. Gaz was still in her dress and she pulled the sleeve on her shoulder up a little, self-consciously. It had been fine when Zim had been around but in a room full of medics treating her like a suspect of flirting with the enemy, she felt uncomfortable. "So it's still Friday then?"

"Correct." The scientist replied, adjusting his glasses. "Now, we'd like to ask you a few questions."

Gaz sighed and crossed her arms. "I figured. What do you want to know?"

"Were you aware you were going to be kidnapped?" Clipboard-man asked, stoic as always.

She gave him a look. "If it was, do you think that I'd have to be drugged?"

The scientist gave her an irritated look or her remark and wrote down the information on the paper. "What is that ring on your hand and why does it burn to touch it?"

Gaz had forgotten about the ring momentarily. At once her eyes diverted to her left hand, which she held up and examined in the light. It was like a rainbow spectrum, containing mainly a white glow mixed in with different colors.

"Oh, yeah," Gaz shrugged. "I'm not sure why it burns. Something about it being injected with moon or star matter or something. Anyways, unless you want a state to blow up, I'm not going to try to take it off. Zim said that the second it left my contact, a state would explode. He didn't tell me which one though, before you ask. He said it would be more fun that way if I got bored and decided a bunch of people needed to die to entertain me."

The people in the room stared at her in surprise before shaking their heads and writing things down again.

"It's not an engagement ring?" The lady continued, still kind.

Gaz nodded. "Actually, it is. He said he loved me."

"Did you return the sentiments?"

"No. I told him I was mad at him."

This was true, Gaz realized. She'd told Zim she had missed him, but had never said that she loved him. Truth be told, Gaz had figured out that she loved him when she'd panicked over his death so much. But she just figured Zim would realize that on his own. Hm. Well, next time, she'd have to tell him to make sure he knew. Zim could really be dense sometimes. Who was to say that he wasn't ignorant of her feelings?

The scientist's brow rose, probably at what he considered cruelty to Zim's feelings. "Oh?"

Gaz nodded, giving him a look. "Wouldn't you be mad if you were in my position?"

He said nothing to answer her, just continued with questioning. "Did he harm you while you were in his care?"

The very thought made her nearly gag. But she kept her composure. "No. He was very careful with me, nervous, because he knew I was mad at him on some level or another."

"Zim informed us he would be entrusting you in someone's care who he could trust with your safety. Are you aware of who he has 'given you to for safe keeping', so to speak?"

Gaz's eyes turned very focused as she tried to remember.

_"I'll be entrusting you to Dib, since I obviously can't trust the government and the Swollen Eyeball with your care."_

"I've got no idea," Gaz replied, looking him dead in the eye. "All he told me was that he loved me, that he wanted me to marry him, about the ring, and that if he was going to do anything, he was going to keep me safe." She snorted in mock disgust, gripping the table and adding. "And he wished me a happy birthday as well. But that's it. Everything else was spent drifting in and out of consciousness."

They shared looks before the female doctor ushered the rest of them out of the room, silently. At once Gaz's brow rose suspiciously, starting to feel more uncomfortable then she'd thought possible.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat, leaning in towards Gaz and speaking quietly. "So what you're saying is . . . _Zim_ is probably the one that got you dressed and changed before he returned you to your brother, while you were unconscious?"

Gaz's eyes widened as she drew her legs away from the woman, in complete horror and shock. "No! That's not what I . . . ! I _was_ awake for a little while and I didn't know how long I was going to be there, and I didn't know who kidnapped me yet, and the kidnappers who were _humans_ gave me a suitcase that had stuff in it and I did that _myself_! Zim never touched me!"

"Right, of course not." The woman reassured her, but in a way that let Gaz know she didn't believe her at all. "Now, we're going to need to do a few examinations of your body, if you're comfortable with that."

"Are you trying to tell me you want to do a _Rape Kit_?" Gaz hissed, through gritted teeth, eyes narrowing at the woman, her long, sharp nails digging into the cushioned examiners table, probably making holes in it.

The woman placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Just to ensure he never touched you . . . _down there_, dear. It's just a precaution to-!"

"Do _not_ touch me," Gaz growled, shrugging out from under her, getting to her feet. "I can't _believe_ you people! First you threaten my life to get to Zim and now you're trying to tell me he raped me in my sleep? Ugh!"

"Did Zim tell you that?" The woman asked, a brow rising.

Gaz stilled, blinking at the memory.

_"Your stupid country keeps stalling their takeover, and they continue to threaten your well-being."_

"Little Sister?"

_"I can't just **leave** you there!"_

"Gaz?"

She snapped out of her numb stupor and turned to see Dib, standing in the doorway, looking at her with concern as a guard was frozen in the failed attempt to get Dib away from the room. She stared at him.

"Agent Moth-Man, this is a private evaluation." The female doctor scolded. "I'm going to have to ask you to le-."

Gaz raced forward and threw her arms around her brother, the sudden need to be with family the best excuse to get out of the room. She heard the lady sigh in irritation but it was clear she was being forced to do what seemed best for Gaz, which was to be with Dib for the time being.

". . . Rest for the day then, Little Sister." The nurse instructed reluctantly. "We'll continue this tomorrow."

"Come on, Gaz," Dib instructed gently, placing his arms around her shoulder and guiding her out of the room. "Let's go find some way to celebrate your birthday."

She nodded, saying nothing, leaning against him.

Thank God for Dib's perfect timing.

* * *

Zim bowed low to his leaders.

"All is going well, My Tallest." Zim informed, straightening into the soldier position. "By the end of today we should have a surrender from one of the seven continents, and the invasion only started yesterday."

"And your little female?" Purple asked. "How is she doing?"

Zim smiled. "Gaz is well. I saw her recently, despite the necessity to continue to stay apart, since her face has only brought headlines to her people, no opinionated ones yet."

"Oh?" Red's brow rose. "And how did that go?"

"Quite well. We are now something the Earthlings call 'engaged', meaning, legally, on her planet, she cannot be separated from me." Zim said, proud of his latest discovery and accomplishment.

The Tallest seemed impressed. "Well, that's good news."

"We can't wait to meet her when you eventually come to visit us, Zim," Red informed, smiling. "She seems like such a charm. An asset to your rule on the planet Earth."

Zim smiled, silently agreeing. "I'll be up as soon as possible with my _sahlm_, My Tallest. Invader Zim, out."

* * *

Gaz wasn't sure where Dib was leading her.

"Dib," She said in a warning tone.

He snickered, "Nuh-uh. No peaking, Gaz!"

"Is the blindfold necessary?"

"Would you rather me hold my hand over your eyes?"

"Point taken."

Gaz continued to be lead who knew where, crossing her arms and scowling all the while. Upon washing and dressing, Dib had asked his little sister to put a blindfold on for a surprise birthday present. Now she was being handled by Dib throughout the White House. Or, maybe for all she knew, she had been walked into a whole other building.

"Can I look _now_?" She demanded, in complaint.

"Almost!"

She let out an aggravated noise, hand brushing against her black pants.

Finally Gaz felt Dib stop her.

"Okay . . . Now!"

She reached up and pulled the blindfold off of her eyes, blinking hard at the change in lighting a moment. When they adjusted she was met with quite the sight and smirked.

"Happy Birthday!" Dib shouted, beaming at her. "What do you think?"

Gaz turned and smiled at her brother. "Thanks, Dib. It's great."

"I couldn't do much, on account of all that's been going on, but, I hope you like it."

"I do," She assured him, entering the room.

It wasn't particularly large but it was well-decorated, with a 'Happy Birthday Gaz!' banner right over the table where a small cake was. Surprisingly, there were two presents next to the cake instead of one.

"Dad wanted me to apologize for him, for not being able to be here," Dib said, as if knowing her train of thought. He jerked his chin towards the present with the silver wrapping paper. "He asked me to give you that for him."

"Alright," She replied, examining the 18 lit candles and smirking. "A lot of candles."

"Thought I'd do it the old fashioned way instead of just two numbered candles." He replied, shrugging. "Want me to sing to you?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "No."

He grinned.

Gaz gave him a warning look, "_Dib_-!"

"Happy Birthday to you!"

"Dib!"

"Happy Birthday to you!"

"Di-_ib_!"

"Happy Birthday to Gaz!"

"Stop it!"

"Happy Birthday to you!"

She gave him an irritated expression.

Dib gestured to her cake. "Go on, Birthday Girl, blow out the candles and make a wish!"

Sighing, Gaz turned back around and paused, staring at the flames with a smile. "You know, I could've lit these without a liter."

"Hey, Gaz? Shut up!"

Gaz snickered, leaned down, closed her eyes, and blew the candles out, as instructed.

Dib cheered and clapped. "Yay!"

She smirked at his enthusiasm, reminded of someone else who often appeared full of energy. "You sound like G-."

Gaz stopped, blinking. Had it already been a week since she'd seen that little spaz of a robot?

Dib placed a hand on her shoulder. "You miss that life, don't you?"

Instinctively her hand went to the ring on her left, rubbing it as she stared ahead. She didn't say anything.

Dib sighed and removed the hand. "He really asked you to marry him?"

"Yes."

"Do you love him?"

"Dib," Gaz swallowed harshly, looking at him. "Do you really want to know?"

They locked eyes with one another, Gaz unreadable and Dib staring, unsure, trying to decide if he did or not.

Finally, he shook his head. "No."

Gaz eyed him.

"Here," She replied, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a single, fingerless glove. Gaz placed it over her left hand and the fingers reached to her knuckles, hiding the ring from sight. "Now it's invisible."

Dib smiled. He was pretty sure he had his answer if Gaz was hiding the ring. "Thanks, Gaz."

"Sure." Gaz replied with a shrug. She then jerked her thumb towards the table. "Want to eat cake now?"

Dib beamed. "Yeah!"

* * *

There were the clicks of boot heals on the rock-paved sidewalk, the threat of rain filling the misty air. The sky was dark with heavy clouds, once something the owner of the boots would have cowered from.

Or maybe 'cower' wasn't the right word. _Avoid_, more likely.

It eyed the area.

They were close.

And then the lightning struck.

* * *

Gaz received a black-jeweled necklace from her father and, ironically, a new pair of gloves from Dib. The knuckles were reinforced with metal underneath the surface, cushioned to keep from harsh impact, and otherwise designed to pack a punch without the feel of impact. Gaz replaced this new pair, trying both of them on immediately. Dib had made them himself and was quite proud of them.

It was then Dib informed Gaz of his plan. Casually and cryptically.

"So, Zim told me who he was entrusting you with," he informed her quietly as they walked down the hallways.

Gaz nodded. "Me too."

"But you said-!"

"What's your point, Dib?" She interrupted, pausing to 'tie her shoe'. Louder she asked him, "Does this looked scuffed to you?"

Dib knelt beside her, pretending to examine an imaginary scuff mark. "We need to pack up and get out as soon as possible. By tomorrow."

"Where are we going?"

"I've got a friend." Dib informed her, shaking his head and standing. "No, it looks like a smudge, nothing to worry about with some cleaning."

Gaz did the same, nodding. Keeping her voice down again she continued her questioning slyly. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as we get moved again." Dib sighed. "We're not doing any good as informants. We need to form our own troops, since ours are destroying our cities. They're probably all going to come here in the end anyways."

"What do you mean 'moved again'?" Gaz hissed, eyes wide with surprise.

Dib didn't look at her, staring straight ahead. "Like I said, the zombified army seems to be heading here, after it hits all the rest of the areas to ensure controlled and complete submission and surrender. These guys don't think it's safe for us, so we'll be moving to the places they've already hit, since it's unlikely they'll be back-tracking."

"You thinking of going home?"

"Something along those lines, yes." Dib smiled at her. "You'll like this; we'll probably be jumping from an airplane."

Gaz smirked. "This is going to get interesting."

"When they figure out we've taken off, they'll demand our return, like property."

"I'm _nobodies'_ property."

"Exactly. Legally, we have the right to not testify, so to speak. As soon as we take this to the press that the government is focusing on holding two innocent teenagers instead of the coming invasion, we're heroes. We'll get enough credit then, enough to attract potential rebels."

"We _don't_ have the right to be vigilantes though, Dib. We don't have the right to take matters into our own hands."

"In the matter of self-defense, yes, we do. With the press on our side, we can do no wrong. And if we play our cards right, Zim is bound to come after you again, to take you away from me when he thinks I'm an 'unfit caretaker'. If we fight him, even if we don't win-."

"You're not fighting him, Dib." Gaz informed him, plainly.

Dib gave her a look of disbelief. "Of course I am! This is him versus me!"

"No, it's not." She growled, eyes narrowing. "This is between the Zim and _I_, not you. If anyone is going to fight him, it's going to be me, and me alone."

Dib crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath in complaint. It was clear he disagreed but it would be a matter to discuss at a later time. Gaz felt his plan was well thought out and was beneficial for his part in Phase 1, to get their face in the news in a positive manner. Gaz had never thought that her lifestyle would depend so much on what other people thought of her, but here she stood, plotting to become the next heroine to the United States.

She smiled. Soon enough she'd feel home again. Her_ real_ home.

Happy Birthday to her.

* * *

SO. FUCKING. SHORT.

That's what she said.

Sorry, I had to say that.

Ha.

Till the next chapter!


	12. New Base of Operations

Comments!

Mr. Mookenstein  
Chapter 11

Red and Purple are acting sort of...creepy about meeting Gaz...they're not..."Interested" in her are they?

**Ew, no. Red and Purple are just looking forward to seeing what Zim's human weapon can do, not . . . _EW_! Though I see where you can get that, it definitely isn't meant like that.**

KotaWingz  
Chapter 11

First of all, I cracked up at your joke at the end! XD Secondly, I myself have several guesses at how Tak enters the story...  
1. Tak is secretly working for the U.S. government and is trying to stop Zim so she can have justice, NOT REVENGE.  
2. Tak kidnaps Gaz and holds her hostage until Zim agrees to stop taking over the Earth and die.  
3. Tak has been hiding out in the mountains or something somewhere and has been in constant contact with Dib. She will then come into the story with her own personal army of Irkens and help Dib fight Zim.  
THOSE are my guesses. And I too felt like a celebrity when I saw my comment in chapter 10. You can not imagine my excitement!

**1. Wrong  
2. Wrong  
3. Wrong  
Oh, I admire all of your guesses but none of them are even close. Lol.**

**Be excited again!**

fairychix26  
Cyapter 11

okay i understand the waiting but please just a chapter a day? maybe at midnight so we wake up with an amasing chapter to read? that would be awsome. well whatever it is your story but i love it so much i can't wait for Gaz to become the face of the restince that will be AWSOME! well till next time  
Luv,  
Fairy Girl

**O.o  
Wait, did I update twice in one day?  
DAMNIT! Thanks for letting me know.**

**I'll be more careful. :)**

cheddarbiscuit  
Chapter 11

Guess three: Tak (presumed dead) Is in reality captured by the... Valkians? Was it Valkians?... You know what I'm talking about, its your fic! She is going to rally them against Zim (because we all know she's that bad ass) and defeat him in his moment of glory.  
Guess four: Out of the darkness of the night hell bent on (not revenge!) Tak will swoop down like an eagle in chapter... ehem... '22' accidentally making her 'not revenge' into 'hot revenge.'  
Possibly with Dib in a fit of jealous rage.  
Aaaaaaaaaand that was disgusting. I'm sorry.  
Anyway, actual review time:  
-I got the impression that Zim has not discovered 'divorce' yet, or that an engaged, or married, couple actually can be separated, regardless. Any forced separation, like this situation, would be treated like a typical kidnapping legally, it does not matter if she's his fiancee or his girlfriend. But this is ZIM we're talking about here, so he's probably not all that familiar with it. I B nitpickin.  
-The birthday scene was adorable.  
- Guess five: Oh. That's Tak. With the lightening. Why is the answer always lightening? She's in their home town, isn't she? Or is that Skoodge and you're just screwing with us again?  
Yes. That was short, but oh well.

**3. No, I made it clear in the 2nd story (or at least, I thought I did) that the all the Valkians were killed after being captured.  
4. Omg, definitely not! EW! No, that chapter goes . . . uninterrupted. (blech, I still feel so dirty after writing that)  
Zim knows of divorce, he just refuses to acknowledge it. He's more determined to stick to the "eternal bond" thing than most humans are.  
5. Hehehe, lightning. I like lightning. It hurts people. :D**

**Why would I tell you if I was screwing with you? That would take the fun out of it! D:**

sanzo-forgetme-plz  
Chapter 11

i feel like such a fan girl i plain on tellin the world that u posted my review an aswerd it i had to wake my gradma up at like one in the morning to tell her this! and i cant belive the nerve of that nurse! like gaz would ever let anyone rape her even in her sleep! these stupid adults keep underestimating these guyz this will only lead to their down fall! -oh and dib has friends! BIGEST SHOCKER OF ALL!

**HAHA, GRANNIES! I thought that whole "rape" thing was funny. I wanted to elaborate on it, but I didn't know how to drag it out, so it ended up just being mentioned.**

**LOL on the Dib thing. I want you and KotaWingz to talk now, since they are a Dib-lover and you are a Dib-hater.**

**DO EEEEEEEET!**

**HEHEHE, fans.**

ngrey651  
Chapter 11

"We don't have the right to be vigilantes though, Dib. We don't have the right to take matters into our own hands."  
HA! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-WHAT A HYPOCRITE! What an unbelievable-I CANNOT believe that MANIPULATIVE, SPITEFUL, ARROGANT-I...I need a minute. There's something I'd like to call Gaz, but I'm not GOING to call her it because I...am a GENTLEMAN. Even if SHE'S! NO! LADY!  
Dear LORD, if something doesn't happen soon, I'm losing ANY respect I might have had for Gaz or Zim. Just when I thought they were FINALLY coming around, that MAYBE they were going to be a little less selfish...BOOM, they do this.

**Clearly you underestimate the selfishness of Zim and Gaz. And Gaz is manipulative, and sometimes spiteful, but definitely not arrogant. She's a narcissist, only acknowledging Zim, Dib, and Membrane as people worth anything. Arrogance is Zim's job.**

**Although I'll admit, I'm confused. How is she being a hypocrite?**

Time for Dib and Gaz to get on the road!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12  
"New Base of Operations"**

It was time to move.

Gaz awoke in the morning to find clothes laid out for her from her suitcase and a small bag with her toiletries in it. There was a note instructing her to get ready immediately. A guard would be waiting outside her door to take her to the plane. She smirked.

So Dib was right.

Thankfully, they had laid out pants for her instead of a skirt. Probably trying to convenience her after her birthday had been spent rather blandly. Gaz hadn't minded in the least but still. At least they'd attempted to make the effort.

Gaz changed into the t-shirt and pants they'd left out before doing her hair and hygiene routines, taking around half an hour to finish. When she was done there was a convenient knock at her door.

"I'm ready!" She informed them, stepping outside and raising a brow at them. "Are we leaving _again_?"

Ignorance; the perfect cover.

"To ensure your safety, we're relocating you," The man corrected.

Gaz shook her head and sighed, slipping on a sweatshirt. "Ugh, whatever."

* * *

"I thought you wanted to _protect_ Gaz." Skoodge said, confused, eyes furrowing in that confusion. "Why are you sending the human zombies after her?"

"I'm giving her and her brother opportunity." Zim explained, casually. "The Tallest wish for Gaz's test of capabilities start _now_, since it's clear their real test won't start soon enough for their liking. I'm sending a bit of my new army after her plane. They won't hurt her and her family seriously, of course, but it should prove her more than a helpful aspect to my Empire to the Tallest."

Skoodge nodded in awed understanding. "_Oooh_! So, this is going to be like a test for her?"

"Precisely."

"You think she'll be okay?"

Zim let out an enthusiastic, vindictive laugh that made Skoodge recoil slightly. When he'd stopped, he wiped a tear from his eye and continued. "Oh, silly Skoodge. Clearly you have not witnessed an attack done by my _sahlm_, and so I shall spare you the mockery. But believe me when you that Zim's love is more then capable of handling a few humans."

"But they've got weapons!"

"Yes," Zim nodded, smirking at the screen as she and her brother boarded. "And so does she. Hers just aren't visible unless you know about them."

As if in response, Gaz's necklace caught a glint of sunlight.

Zim smirked viciously.

"Oh yes, we're in for _quite_ the show. Feel honored, Skoodge!"

"Yes, sir!" He shouted at once, looking a bit frightened as he saluted and stared at the screen with wide, red eyes.

"I WANNA PLAY WITH THE SOLJUHS!" Gir screamed, falling from the roof and landing on Zim's head. "Why can't I? Huh? WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY-?"

"GIR! Get off of my head!" Zim screeched, throwing him off.

Gir bounced a couple of times before rolling onto his back and giggling. "I flew like a puppy!"

"Ugh!" Zim rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "He gets a few days away from Gaz and already he refuses to listen to anyone again."

"TAQUITOS!"

"I SAID QUIET, GIR!"

All he got in response was a giggle and a poorly hummed, tuneless noise.

* * *

Gaz watched Dib playing on his laptop, headphones in, seeming focused on something or another.

She leaned over his shoulder, peaking at his work. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to trace back Zim's transmission," Dib replied.

Gaz's brow rose. "But we already know where he is. What's the point of finding him _again_?"

"No, I'm not looking for him!" Dib said, shaking his head. "I'm trying to see if there's a way into his systems, but so far, the security he's got has been keeping me out."

Gaz leaned back, folding her arms behind her head, crossing her legs and shrugging. "If you got new toys, wouldn't you try them out?"

Dib snorted and just kept working.

A few minutes later Gaz felt Dib tense beside her and looked over. "Something wrong?"

"Gaz," He hissed, quietly. "I . . . I think he's sending me a message!"

Gaz's brows rose in surprise. Thankfully the guards were up front, speaking with the president and the more important crew, so there was no chance of them being overheard. She diverted her eyes from them, leaning over to look at the computer screen.

To her surprise, Dib appeared to be right. There were green, unfamiliar (to Dib) characters running across his screen and no matter what buttons he clicked, it simply continued forcibly loading on its own. Gaz's eyes weren't quick enough to catch all the numbers and characters, but it appeared as though it was some type of binary code. Probably one designed specifically to force information on another computer device.

"_Zim_," they both hissed in quiet unison.

"What's he doing _now_?" Gaz asked, irritated.

_"We could inadvertently communicate that way."_

Gaz's eyes narrowed. She'd just seen him the other day. What message was so urgent he needed to send her one _now_?

Finally the file popped up, a letter of Irken writing entirely, not a word Dib could understand.

"What in the world . . .?" He demanded, glaring at it in confusion.

Gaz, however, was reading it almost easily.

_Gaz,  
Assuming You Can Read This,  
I've received news from the Tallest (who ask about you often by the  
way) requesting a video message of your . . . 'talents', since you won't  
be able to see them for some time. I recommend you make this latest  
demonstration something to look at, more tricks then necessary. My  
army will be coming for your plane soon. I recommend you arm yourself,  
if you think you'll need to, for they will be armed. They aren't going to  
kill you but that doesn't mean you won't get hurt and I'd hate to be  
responsible for that.  
Love to You,  
The Almighty Zim_

Her brow rose. So somehow Zim would be filming this, probably by satellite, to entertain the Tallest.

Dib, however, was still in the dark. And she intended to keep him that way.

"Any idea what this says?" Dib asked her, turning after glaring at his own screen for some time.

Gaz gave him a look. "He didn't exactly teach me his language, Dib."

Which was true. He'd given her a disk to learn on her own.

Dib sighed, aggravated. "Why would he send me this when neither of us can read it?"

"No idea," Gaz said, standing up and beginning to equip herself. "But if I know Zim, it's a warning, probably a taunt towards you that if you could read this you'd have time to prepare for something or another."

His eyes widened. "So we're probably about to be attacked?"

"Most likely." She agreed, looking out the window. They were already nearing the airport.

Dib got up, also equipping himself quickly but inconspicuously. "If we're lucky, he'll do it when we land."

The plane gave a violent jolt.

"Apparently we aren't," Gaz growled.

The guards at once noticed Dib sling his case (with laptop inside) over his shoulder as the two ran to the back of the plane. Obviously it was suspicious and so they were pursued.

"Here!" Dib ordered, pulling out what looked like metal footprints and handing her two of them. "Put these on your feet! It'll keep you grounded and stuck to the airplane, just in case."

She did so, peeling off the paper cover and revealing the sticky part, which would stick to her shoes. Good thing she'd worn sneakers.

The men threw aside the curtain, noticing the two of them stare in surprise.

"What're you two doing?" One of the demanded.

Gaz and Dib shared a look of uneasiness.

However the plane's wheels touched ground, knocking the men off their feet and saving them from answering the question. Thankfully, Dib's little devices proved themselves then, keeping them on the ground while everyone else fell.

At the same time, a portion of the plane ripped off, revealing zombified soldiers attacking the plane.

"Ha!" Gaz shouted, narrowing her eyes. "I knew it!"

"We need to get off the plane." Dib said.

Wind ripped through the cabin and the plane, making everyone lift their arms to shield their eyes from the harsh breeze.

"Ugh! I've had enough of this!" Gaz growled, ripping off her necklace and jamming it in her pocket.

"Gaz!" Dib cried out in alarm, hand outstretching towards her as she raced towards the uniformed, disturbing-looking men.

With a great effort, Gaz lifted her foot and slammed it into the first of them, throwing them off of the plane and taking a few with him as he went. She then gripped the top of the opening, swinging herself on top of the plane.

"Little Sister!"

"What is she _doing_?"

"Damn it, Gaz!" Dib growled, following after her.

"Agent Moth-Man!"

"Where are you going?"

Gaz, already on top of the moving plane, now faced an army of, well, a zombie army that once belonged to the U.S., each with glazed over, entirely white eyes and gray skin. She tensed, arms at her sides and hands in fists.

Groaning in an ominous chant, they headed towards her, arms outstretched.

She smirked, taking more steps back. "That's right. Right over the cockpit. Come on."

_Tricks_, she thought, focusing on her hands. _I'll show them tricks!_

"Take this!" She shouted.

Her hands exploded in a frightening amount of power, making even the zombies pause and mutter groans of confusion. Gaz spun around for momentum before throwing her hands in the direction of the creatures that cried out in surprise. The fuchsia flames exploded just before them, coming together in an impact that sent them flying off the plane. It left Gaz to wonder just how they'd been able to stay on in the first place, standing on top of the plane as it gradually continued to slow.

Dib, ducking just as half the zombies were blown off in one hit, jumped up in alarm.

"Gaz!" He shouted over the wind.

She turned, winking at him, before slamming her hand into the metal. Dib's hair blew in his face, blocking his sight. Gaz's hand went hot, burning the metal and weakening it as she swept her hand over the plane. The zombies continued to mindlessly pursue her, stepping on the weakened spot, walking right into her trap as they tumbled down on top of the important men.

"That's all of them!" she informed Dib, running over to him. "We need to get off the plane!"

"But all our stuff-!"

"We'll get new things!" She hissed, "We'll get to your contact and get funds from the account Dad has for us in case of emergency."

"Well how are we going to get off?" Dib demanded. When Gaz gave him a look of disbelief his eyes widened and he screamed, "WE'RE JUMPING OFF OF THE PLANE?"

"Hey!" She defended, smirking, readying herself at the edge. "It was your idea, remember?"

"I thought we'd be using parachutes!" He screeched, terrified as he stood next to her, shaking.

Gaz nudged him, "Come on, Dib. You've raced an alien on a planet in space! How can you be scared _now_?"

He swallowed, nodding and preparing himself. "You're right. I can do this!"

She rolled her eyes but didn't disagree. "Alright, you'll need to leap up _hard_! You need to exert enough pressure to break the connection in the magnets _and_ jump high enough in the air to scale the plane. When you hit the ground, hit the ground running or you'll break your legs*. Got it?"

He nodded. "On three!"

"One!"

Two-!"

The plane rocked as the zombies probably got a hold of the plane driver.

"GO!" Gaz shouted.

They both jumped up, high, and the plane disappeared from under them in seconds.

Gaz braced herself as the ground neared her, the weight of the shoes speeding them up just that much more. She almost glanced at Dib, but she had to focus on her own landing to make sure she didn't break anything. As she'd instructed Dib to do, and with immense effort, Gaz hit the ground running, despite the weight of the shoes.

They continued running halfway off the airport grounds before they were forced to stop, feeling like their legs were on fire. Breathing heavily and stumbling to a stop, they bent over, hands on their knees, recovering and looking up at the plane that was now ablaze, where Gaz's hand had been. Her eyes widened.

Dib's jaw dropped. "Oh, sh-!"

An explosion from the back threw some people overboard. Thankfully the plane was rather slow by then, and so they didn't face the perils Gaz and Dib had faced at the speed they'd jumped from. They seemed fine as more people ran from the plane, some of them with zombies following after as they ran from their pursuers.

"They're distracted," Gaz insisted, nudging Dib out of his stupor. "Focus, Dib! How do we get these things off?"

"We need heat to melt off the glue," Dib said at once, and then paled. "Gaz-!"

"Close your eyes, I won't burn you." She insisted, getting down on one knee and grumbling, "_Big baby_."

Dib did as he was told, feeling the warmth through his shoe. He heard the metal hit the floor on one shoes before he switched, thankful (and surprised) that she hadn't ruined them. They weren't even burnt.

When he was done, she did it to herself, sitting down so she could do both of them at the same time. She ignored her heavy breathing, refusing to allow her body the luxury of being tired. They didn't have time for this!

Finally the metal fell off and Gaz jumped back to her feet.

Just as the plane, fully evacuated, exploded.

"GAZ!" Dib shouted. "Look what you-!"

"It couldn't be helped, and everyone is fine anyways," She insisted. "Now come on, we need to find transportation!"

"I already contacted my source," Dib insisted, jerking his thumb in the direction they needed to go. "I told them to meet us over by the front terminals."

"Then let's _go_!"

She grabbed his wrist and the two began running, their already sore calves protesting at the extra exertion. But the two had no choice as they ran, Dib holding his laptop bag to his chest so it wouldn't continuously flap and hit him. He'd have enough bruises to deal with in the morning. Dib definitely didn't need anymore.

Gaz wasn't concerned with the government or the Swollen Eyeball chasing after them. Not until the head count and there wouldn't be one until everyone was escorted to a safety house. By then, she and Dib would be long gone. Maybe if they were lucky they would be thought for dead.

Finally the two skirted the building, where people were running all over, probably due to the explosion. The panicked and weary looking expressions on Dib and Gaz's faces didn't seem out of place in the least.

"Who's picking us up again?" Gaz demanded, eying the chaos she'd caused.

Dib was suddenly weary, smiling at her awkwardly. "Um, an old friend."

Gaz's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "_Who_?"

A car pulled up then, the window rolling down. Gaz's back was to the street, and so she did not see, but Dib did. He was about to warn their new assistant, but it was too late.

"Hi, Dib!"

Dib paled.

Gaz spun around in horror.

Gretchen, from in the car, considerably pleased she could help her crush since Grade-Skool and jumping at the opportunity (even at the expense of her father's money), was wiggling her fingers at Dib in a wave. She was batting her lashes at Dib, smiling with straightened teeth, thanks to those awful braces of hers that had gotten removed the summer before Hi-Skool. She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't exactly as pretty as Gaz either (despite Gaz's extreme disapproval of her good lucks, she _was_, in fact, fairly attractive).

Gaz turned back around slowly, face black with fury. "_No_."

"Gaz, we've got no other choice!" Dib hissed at her, giving Gretchen an awkward smile. She swooned a little, blushing furiously. "Everyone else took off to who knows where and she's the only one willing to help.

"She's a _fan-girl_, Dib!" Gaz snapped, stomping a foot on the ground in a childish manner. "The worst of the Skool! Everything the four of us did, she was the first to fawn over it and act like we were heroes!"

"Well we're kind of being heroes now, aren't we?"

"Don't make me hit you."

"Hey, Gretchen's dad has got connections and money. This is our _only_ option, and it's a good one at that!"

"I'll take my chances on the streets, with the zombies." She growled, moving to push past him.

Dib groaned. "You made me do this Gaz!"

"Do wha-? DIB!"

Having attempted to walk past him, Dib ducked under Gaz, picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder as he walked towards the car, ignoring both her protests and his sore body's, at carrying extra weight. She was kicking him relentlessly in the chest, pounding on his back as well. Upon seeing that she was drawing far too much attention to herself, she stopped, crossing her arms and muttering curses towards her brother. A part of her was tempted to burn him, as her necklace was still in her back pocket (how had it not fallen out?), but then he'd just drop her and that wouldn't help anyone.

Dib opened the back door, tossing Gaz inside and slamming it shut before she could get out. He got in the passenger seat, quickly locking the doors and motioning for Gretchen to go, which she did. And so Gaz was left with no choice but to remain in the car.

Sighing in relief, buckling up, Dib turned and smiled at Gretchen. "Hey, thanks for doing this. You didn't have to."

"Yeah, you really shouldn't have," Gaz added, her tone laced with sarcasm that Gretchen didn't seem to notice or chose to ignore, so she could pretend that she was being appreciated by her heroes.

Dib shot her a look over the chair.

Gretchen giggled, blushing unattractively. It made her skin look splotchy. Gaz continued to scowl at her, pointing out every single flaw she could find so she could use it against her at some later time, should Gretchen suddenly turn on her. It was likely. Most worship-type relationships ended with a betrayal of some sort or another.

"Oh, it's no problem of course!" Gretchen insisted, batting her lashes at Dib before turning her attention back to the road. "I feel like such a rebel, helping you two out, running from the law and all."

Gaz gave Dib a look that clearly stated, 'Just what did you tell her?'

In reply he gave a look that said, 'I'll tell you later! Just play along!'

Rolling her eyes, she gave silent agreement nonetheless by making no objections to the story.

"Yeah," Gaz said instead, blandly. "So much rebellion in a car drive to someone's house."

Gretchen slammed on the breaks as a car veered off in front of her, glaring disapprovingly as they sped away. "People seem to be on edge. Wonder what got into them."

Gaz and Dib shared another look.

"Yeah," Dib agreed, turning away to look out the window. "Some mystery."

* * *

*That is true for jumping off moving trains, so I guessed the same could be applied to airplanes.

PSH! Not that they'd know anything about any airport troubles! (sideways glance)

Yes, I involved Gretchen, Dib's biggest fan. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Magic ponies.

K, I'm done now!

Until the next chapter!


	13. Making An Example

And, to my reviews.

Mr. Mookenstein

Chapter 12

Correct me if im wrong, but if the tallest find her impressive enough wouldn't they just take Gaz and let Zim die or something of that sort?

**Ew, no. The Tallest do NOT like Gaz like that. It's like seeing something shiny in someone's hand. You want to see what it is and why it's so shiny, because that's what caught your eye, but once they hold their hand out and you see it's just a coin it's not so coolanymore (because Gaz isn't Irken or they probably WOULD just take her from him, but she isn't, so she's just not too interesting).**

sanzo-forgetme-plz  
Chapter 12

ahahahahahahah I knew it! who in the world would Dib know! ahahahahahah (wipes tears) this was to be expected since he is a loser- i mean loner (wink) but what was not expected was that somewhere out thier someone dosent like Gaz!(ngrey651) didnt think it was posible. do u have a fav character?

**YES. Zim, of course. It used to be Gir, and then Gaz, but after recent evaluation and finding this video on youtube that just shows how big of a badass Zim is, it has changed to him.**

**What can I saw? I'm a sucker for the underdog.**

Cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 12

I noticed how you neglected to tell me 'no' for guess five, so I am assuming it hit *slighty* close to the mark, maybe to ricochet off and hit me in the face, but whatever. Still, just in case...  
Guess six: Tak, who's father is still head of the Delishus Weenie Corperation, serves as a benefactor for Dib and the Swollen Eyeball.  
Guess seven: Tak is going to show up for two more seconds and get shot. Fatally.  
Nothing really to say about this chapter. I'm more interested in Tak showing up than giving you critisim. Action was well written, so on and so forth...

**5. Irrelevant to the story. I really did just want to put lightning in there. :D  
6. No. I was never quite clear on Tak's "father" in her episode. Is he a robot, or a real person?  
7. :O That would be awful! No!**

Lol. Tak shows up soon everyone! Be patient, she gets here!

ForceWalker

Chapter 12

Man, Gaz is so badass! The way she just destroyed those zombies like nothing was just awesome! And Zim had no doubts that she would do it! Just great! I really love this couple!  
Might as well give my hand in guessing Tak's appearance.  
As Dib and Gaz are building their rebellion, Tak suddenly appears before them, in human disguise as she introduced to them by other rebels, surprising them both. And when they're alone with her, she then claims that she wants to help them take down Zim for her own personal reasons, though Gaz and Dib are wary.  
It's a long shot I know, but I've pictured Tak on Dib's side, and always considered for her to pop up to them in a unexpected manner.  
Also, is Tak taller now, or is she still the same height as before?

**I KNOW RIGHT? Geez, I wish I could do the stuff she does.**

**All of your guesses . . . and none of you have gotten it correct! :D**

**I feel like such a badass for this. Whenever Tak decides to show up (that's a figure of speech, I refuse to give anything away; Tak could very well come on her own or be found, but you do not know) you all are going to start yelling, I know it.**

**Truth be told, I like arguing with my readers. I feel like I'm involving people in the story in ways a book couldn't, because with books, you normally don't have the author glancing through your comments about each chapter and commenting on some of them. :D**

Sikeokilla

Chapter 12

Hello once again I feel the need to congratulate you on a chapter well done  
I do need to ask who the "four of us" is that Gaz speaks of.  
This story has been blowing me away since chapter one and I must say that I am glad you decided to post here on  
(Hands you a cookie) for all your hard work you deserve a reward  
(glances over shoulder as you both hear a robotic squeal that sounds like it says "where's mah cookies")  
(looks back at you) god speed  
Conspiratorially yours  
The sikeokilla  
EWC  
P.s. I really do enjoy your story I just didn't wanna get mauled by gir

**Well, speaking of Gir, "the four of us" means; Dib, Gaz, Zim, and Gir.**

**And oh goody! I'm glad I please you all with meh imagination gone wild!**

**P.S.(in response to your P.S.) If worse comes to worse, I'll just make Gir go sit in the corner with Skoodge.**

London Bai and Diane Hart

Chapter 12

I have spent the last day reading the first two stories and am finally finishing this one at 3:15 am and yet I am not the slightest bit tired. If anything I am sad that I have to wait for the next chapter. On with the Rebellion. On with the Invasion. On with... umm... Zim gaining a few inches and being taller than the Tallest. (lame, I know. I'm loopy from lack of sleep. Yay!)  
More soon, please? :D

**Seriously? Geez, the dedication you all have to this story is really astounding to me! I'm completely shocked at how popular this has become. I mean I've just passed 100 reviews and it's only been what, 12 chapters? You guys have no idea how happy and excited I am right now.**

**I adore you all! You make me so happy!**

13, my favorite number.

My nails is red like Zim's eyes!

Yes, I went and was like, mm, what color? And what better then the blood red of Zim's eyes?

Am I weird?

Eh, oh well.

ENJOY!

* * *

**Chapter 13  
"Making An Example"**

Gretchen said she was taking them to her cabin.

Gaz decided if this was just a 'cabin', then their home must have been an outhouse.

It was large, but it was made of wood, and in the forest. During the car ride, Gaz replaced her necklace, feeling uncomfortable without it on. She glared at Dib and Gretchen the whole time as she talked animatedly and Dib answered politely. Gaz couldn't deny a part of her was tempted to blow the car sky high but that would just get her in trouble.

But now, exiting the car, Gaz stared at the house before her.

"Sorry it's so old fashioned," Gretchen said apologetically. "Daddy and my uncle only just cleaned it up a month ago, since this house is part my cousins' and part mine. I asked for the one near the beach, but-."

"No, this is perfect," Dib assured her. "We don't really want to be seen around town, you know?"

"Oh, right," Gretchen giggled. "You two are 'undercover'. This is so cool! I feel like I'm in an action movie."

Gaz's brow rose. She shot Dib another irritated look, hissing next to his ear. "Are you _kidding me_?"

Dib just sighed and turned to Gretchen. "Hey, is there internet here? Gaz and I kind of lost our luggage, and we need to order some things online."

"Oh, sure! Of course! Do you need the address?" Gretchen asked, approaching the porch and pulling out her key.

Dib smiled gratefully at her. "Yeah. Thanks."

Gretchen blushed and giggled again, opening the door and gesturing them to go inside. "Sure!"

Gaz eyed the area around them, the finished wood, the architecture. A brow rose. It was impressive.

For a cabin.

"I'll show you to the nicest rooms in the house." Gretchen assured them. She clapped her hands. "Furniture!"

Gaz's brow rose as she gave Dib another look. "_She's calling her furniture_?"

Dib looked a bit unnerved when a maid and butler came into the room. They were still confused.

"Ah, there you are." Gretchen said, jerking a thumb towards Dib and Gaz. "Please show my guests to their rooms. Get them whatever they need. You'll have to excuse me, Dib. I've got to freshen up. Daddy wants me at a meeting tonight. Ta!"

Gaz noticed the abrupt change from the fawning fan to a spoiled, arrogant heiress. True, Gretchen's parents were wealthy, but they weren't anyone particularly important. Sure, they had friends in high places but they weren't in those places themselves.

"This way, please," the maid said to Gaz, her face passive and emotionless. It might've reminded Dib of Gaz's expression, if the girl had some sort of dark emotion or silent, unnamed threat about her.

Gaz eyed her, but followed up the staircase. The butler did the same to Dib, who also felt a bit uncomfortable at being led by someone so stoic. Why had Gretchen called them furniture? These were obviously people. This was hardly Beauty and the Beast, either.

They were taken to separate parts of the house, on opposite sides. Gaz guessed Gretchen's room was on the side Dib was on, and she wanted privacy in case something happened. Which was unlikely. But Gaz would let the girl dream, for now.

She continued to examine the maid. A girl breaking into a woman, probably around Dib and Gaz's age, 17 at the least, 21 at the oldest. Strange. They were hiring young here. She must be eye candy for the owner of the house then. She was probably pretty enough, but the way she carried herself, tired, but continuing her job as if she wasn't, made her less attractive.

Gaz nearly snorted. Who was she to judge attraction?

"She called you furniture." Gaz said, waiting until they were well out of earshot of everyone else and ignoring her previous thoughts. "Why?"

"We are a part of the house." The girl replied, still emotionless. "We serve our purpose, as furniture does. We are not people. We are simply furniture."

Gaz snorted in disbelief. "A unique idea. Who do you work for, Gretchen, or her cousin?"

"Her cousin's family." The girl said at once. "Miss Gretchen is almost as much of a guest here as you are."

"Do you know who I am?"

"A guest."

"That's not what I meant. Do you know of me?" Gaz demanded, eyes narrowing. If this girl knew that Gaz and Dib, two well-known (thanks to the media) friends of the invading alien, she could be a potential threat if word got out.

The girl looked at Gaz, blank eyes unreadable, before turning away. "You are someone who does not want to be known. You need not worry. I, nor my fellow furniture pieces never leave the house and do not communicate with the outside world, unless to retrieve supplies for the house."

Gaz believed her. "Good. As far as you're concerned, I, nor my brother exist."

"Very well, Miss."

"So whose Gretchen's cousin anyways?"

"A Master Tinsle."

"Can you tell me more about them?"

They reached a door, and the girl turned the knob, opening it for Gaz.

"Come in," Gaz ordered, "And shut the door behind you."

The girl did as she was told, speaking while Gaz eyed the quaint decor of the room. It was lavish and well-kept, but so long as it served it's purpose, she couldn't have cared less. Thankfully there was a computer in the room. She sighed in relief.

"Miss Gretchen's father and Master Tinsle do not get along, on most occasions, though it's not my place to judge."

"Different business ventures, I'm assuming." Gaz said, turning to glance at her. "Am I right?"

"You're very observant."

"I know. Tell me more."

From the little the maid concerned herself with, Gaz was able to deduce that Gretchen's cousins were probably in the criminal business, something like the people she was raised by (on the straight and narrow, probably even a bit skittish) wouldn't approve of. And Gretchen didn't seem to like her older cousin, who was around her age, but the rest of them she simply adored. Gretchen's aunt had died about a year ago but other than that, there family hadn't suffered from much tragedy, at least, from what the maid knew of (or cared to remember). At one point Gretchen's cousin had stayed up in the cabin, but he'd shunned himself to his room. The maid had cast it off as teen angst and hadn't bothered him, as ordered.

"Are you satisfied, Miss?" She said eventually.

Gaz nodded. "Yes. You can go now."

"Lunch will be provided and brought to your room, since I'm sure you have things to do."

"Thanks," Gaz muttered, not really paying attention as she booted up the computer.

She was aware of the maid's presence evaporating as she bowed respectfully, leaving the room without another word. Gaz was already opening the internet and surfing the web for replacements to her old clothes. She had specific things in mind, fighting clothes. Thankfully Gaz had been wearing anything actually important to her (she never trusted luggage, a policy that had obviously paid off in the end) and so nothing important was lost. However it was never a good day to realize you had no belongings but the clothes on your back and whatever else was on hand.

Everything was rush ordered, a whole new wardrobe would be delivered to Gretchen's doorsteps by tomorrow. As promised, lunch was delivered to her room by the strange (but sensible) maid, and Gaz ate without knowing what she was eating. For all she knew it could be poisoned, but thanks to the benefits of Zim's gift, it was a precaution she didn't have to worry about.

Hopefully though, Gretchen's psychotic break leading to the attempted murder of Gaz hadn't come quite yet.*

Gaz was met with another knock on her door at around 7pm, after she'd finished buying things that _weren't_ clothes (new suitcases, weapons, etc.), and looked up curiously.

"Come in!" She called, monotonously.

The door opened to reveal a cautious Dib (cautious because he knew how Gaz was when it came to new environments; predatory and conniving), looking around her room before meeting eyes with his impatient sister.

"I didn't know the room inspections were so precise," Gaz informed him, sarcastically. "However, if you planned on investigating thoroughly, I'd suggest you actually _enter_ the domain before writing up your evaluation."

Sheepishly, Dib did so, closing the door behind him. "Sorry, I just didn't want to invade your space."

"Technically, it's not my space, it's _Hers_." Gaz said, scowling at said unmentioned female.

Dib had expected this. He sighed, sitting on the bed. A potentially dangerous move, but one that gave him the advantage if she didn't immediately protest to it. "Aw come on, Gaz. It's not _so_ bad. You can stay locked up in here all day, if you want. _It's not like she's been trying to get **you** into bed with her for the past **hour**._"

The last part had been a grumble under his breath. However, Gaz, being the ever-observant and conniving girl she was, heard it. Her downtrodden face immediately lifted into one of curiosity, sitting up straighter.

"She _what_?" Gaz demanded, eyes wide with surprise and intrigue.

Dib paled, realizing his bitter thoughts had been spoke aloud. "Uh, I didn't mean-!"

"I've got to hand it to the girl, she's doesn't beat around the bush." Gaz said teasingly, staring up at the sealing with a smirk as she pretended to contemplate the idea of it. "Gretchen Membrane."

"Ew!" Dib shouted, obviously disgusted. "Don't say that!"

"Why? She probably says it to herself non-stop, while looking at pictures of you."

"Gaz!"

"She's probably naked too."

"GAZ!"

Dib's voice squeaked in horror, face beat red and his body tense with discomfort. Gaz eyed her work with approval, smiling at Dib's obvious revulsion and disturbed attitude with satisfaction.

Served him right for trying to play 'peace-maker' between Gaz and a girl she was never going to like.

"What did you want again?" She finally asked, once she was done appraising his uncomfortable demeanor.

Dib scowled at her disregard to her cruelty towards him, but knowing it would get him nowhere to try to scold or reprimand her, he just continued with where he'd intended the conversation to go in the first place. "I wanted to make sure you'd bought something nice from online. Gretchen said her family is going to come down to see her, and since she can't very well hide us, she's going to introduce us to them."

Gaz snorted in a disgust that almost matched Dib's previous feeling. "First I have to tolerate her, and now her _family_? Yeah, Dib, this place is working out _great_."

"Well where would you have us go, Gaz?" Dib demanded, arms crossed as he glared at her. "It's not like we have much to choose from here! Would you rather be with the government, who was willing to sell you to Zim to keep the U.S. safe?"

At that moment, who should burst in but Gretchen, looking wide-eyed and panic stricken.

Gaz's eyes narrowed, but Dib's widened, jumping to his feet at once.

"What is it?" He demanded, taking in her disheveled and heavily breathing form. Obviously she had been running, so whatever the news, it had to be urgent.

"You . . . All over news!" She coughed out, between trying to catch her breath and fumbling for something in her pocket.

Just then the female maid came running, not looking even slightly winded, looking at Gretchen with concern.

"Mistress, _please_-!"

Unknown to everyone else, Gaz flinched at the word 'mistress'. How long had it been since she'd heard Gir call her that? But she shook the emotion off, favoring to eye Gretchen with distaste instead.

Gretchen waved her concerned nanny aside, leaning heavily against the door-frame as she fumbled with her pocket.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Not to burst you're bubble or anything (_not that I mind either_), but we've been all over the news for a while now, _Gretchen_. It's not exactly anything new or exciting to us."

Gretchen finally found what she was looking for, pulling out her inhaler and taking a puff. After holding her breath to let the medication take effect, she sighed, releasing that breath, having regained most of her composure.

"No," she said, shaking her head as her eyes darted, frightened, between the two of them. "Zim just sent a broadcast to the world. The U.S. government has surrendered, and he says he's out looking for a fight."

"So?" Gaz continued, still patronizing. But the sinking feeling in both her and Dib's gut was undeniable. A flicker of meeting eyes between the two of them confirmed the mutual feeling of dread.

"He's looking for it with _you_." She said, pointing towards Dib. Then she quickly raced to the remote, turning on the TV and sitting tiredly on the bed, her maid trailing her all the while, as if waiting for her to drop. "Just watch for yourselves!"

As she sat, she took the second puff of her inhaler, leaning on her maid, but they were ignored as Dib and Gaz watched with complete focus.

Like Gretchen had said, Zim was there, looking pleased with himself. Incredibly smug. What Gaz wouldn't do to wipe that smirk off his face. Or, at least, that's what she had to make everyone else believe. In truth, if she was with him, she'd probably be every bit as smug as he was.

"So now that your despicable government now bows down to Invader _Zim_," He was saying, emphasizing his name and the power it now held. "I will seek the rest of this planet's continents and move forward with my plan for world conquest. _However_, it has come to my attention that a certain pair you should all be familiar with by now has gone missing. I'm sure you'll all be interested to know that the government was attempting to use one of that pair to strike a deal with me. Probably why your government's surrender came so swiftly after their disappearance."

From the television, as the camera filming his broadcast from his fortress was live, the crowd of onlookers began collectively muttering their surprise.

Zim laughed at their response. "Yes, disturbing, isn't it, that the people in charge of protecting their citizens wouldn't think twice about leveraging the life of a girl? Such honesty they claim to have and yet so many lies they tell. Now, you can always trust me to be honest. Cruelly so. You'll find in my future rule that Zim sugarcoats nothing."

Gaz snorted. He _would_ act as though she was an innocent, helpless girl stuck in the trap of the government. As if she and even Dib hadn't played them from the start!

She also noticed he didn't mention the Swollen Eyeball's hand in the failed exchange and threats on her life. She figured it was because they weren't as well known as the government, an undercover operation from start to finish. Well, at least history wouldn't remember their hand in the downfall of the United States. It would just haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Oh, how that idea made Gaz almost smirk.

"Now, onwards to what I was previously speaking of," Zim continued, more diplomatically. "I'm looking for one of those pair, as I'm sure everyone is. I _will_ find him soon, but anyone who gives Zim information on these two will . . . well, you'll get nothing, but your loyalty will be noted."

Dib snorted. Typical Zim.

An image of Dib appeared, his Skool photo actually. Dib wished Zim had picked a better photo, one that made him look dark and serious. In the photo he'd chosen, Dib was beaming like an idiot, smiling like the typical Hi-Skool kid, not at all the hero he was trying to be. Zim snickered, as if knowing of Dib's disapproval, and continued shortly after.

"This annoying little piece of filth is Dib Membrane, my arch-nemesis since the Dib-worm's childhood." Zim explained, pointing to the smaller picture in his projection with a sharp finger.

That was something Dib hadn't noticed before (but something Gaz definitely had, and she was currently shifting, somewhat uncomfortably, at the memory of those talons digging into her back and raking along other places at different times) but Zim had really sharp fingernails. He wondered if he'd been too busy to notice or just hadn't cared, but he realized, remembering the (humiliating) few times Zim had slapped him across his face, just how much it really _stung_! Sure, Dib had been slapped a few times before, and not so gently either (girls, who could deal with them getting the wrong impression?), but it had never stung like when Zim hit him. The pain was like bee-stings, but he'd figured it was just the alien strength.

Rubbing his cheek now, absentmindedly, he wondered if those sharp fingers had anything to do with the strange pain.

"He is a pest of mine I've been meaning to squash for some time now," Zim admitted, smugly, trailing a finger along the picture. It seemed to burn a trail where he traced, ripping the thing in half down the middle. Dib swallowed uncomfortable and Gretchen gave a gasp of surprise as with each slow run of his finger along the projection, Dib's picture (and in spirit, his face) was further ripped apart. With each assault, Zim's red eyes seemed to glitter just a bit more as he continued speaking.

"Asshole," Dib muttered, hiding his discomfort.

"A task I plan on doing _personally_, and as soon as possible. Anyone who wants to be the 'brown-noser' as you humans call it, and brings Dib to me harmed, dead, or at all, will be killed where they stand." Again, murmurs of surprise and alarm, but Zim waved it off with a hand, leaning his face against the other as he continued, sitting up. "I like to catch my prey, not have it brought to me. Where's the satisfaction in that?"

No one said anything and Zim smirked vindictively, leering at them all as he let out a wicked laugh to their united horror.

"Dib," Gretchen breathed, voice laced with fear, a hand reaching out towards him.

"**WHAT ABOUT THE GIRL**?" Someone shouted randomly. "**_HIS SISTER_**!"

Gaz's eyes widened considerably. She definitely hadn't expected to be brought up in this. Immediately she felt all eyes turn to her and her expression hardened, eyes narrowing as she ignored the stares and focused on the screen, to see the response.

"Invader Zim," some particularly bold news-caster shouted at his ginormous image on his fortress, microphone in hand. "Is it true that you were in a relationship with Gaz Membrane?"

Zim's eyes widened to impossible sizes. He had no way of knowing that a ways away from him, Gaz's expression was a mirror image of his. People all over the world would see this, she knew. His reaction was a death-wish on her. The best ransom target in the world, right now. What would the being about to own everything give to have his precious little spot back, safe and sound?

Then his eyes showed such hatred, such loathing and silent threats that it even stopped her racing mind in it's tracks, a brow rising with the faintest look of impressed respect on her face. Everyone turned back to the screen, curious. Dib felt bad for all those present, feeling terror as Zim's glare of death kept up on them all. If Gaz was looking like that, imagine how _they_ felt. Especially the idiot that asked the question.

"I'll make this clear," Zim said, his voice matching his expression. It sent chills of fear into everyone who was able to hear it, stilling even Dib's heart for a moment. "Continue to harass Zim about the past, and I will kill you. Understood?"

Nobody said a word. Gaz was pretty sure no one was be able to.

"Nobody is to touch the Dib-monkey's sister," Zim continued, barking that order at them all.

Gaz's jaw dropped. Was he _insane_?

She felt like hitting herself for asking such as stupid question.

Of course he was!

"That business between she and I will be worked out publicly, though, since you are so curious." Zim added, nonchalantly, seeming bored as he rested his head against his arched fingers. "However, I find it strange you are more concerned with trying to create for Zim a love-life then a far more exciting battle between her disturbingly large-headed brother and I."

Gaz's brow rose. "Love-life?"

"Hey!" Dib shouted, defensively. "My heads not big!"

"Of course it's not," Gretchen assured him passionately, staring at him with adoring eyes. Uncomfortable, Dib just looked back towards the TV.

Zim sighed, "I suppose there are few humans I truly understand, not that I care to try to figure out anymore. I know enough to be able to predict your movements and enough to guess the handful of my case-studies' movements. Now that your society welcomes me as your new ruler, you shall expect swift action within the week. Until I decide you're worth speaking to again," he waved lazily, not bothering to finish his sentence, and the screen went back to the same Irken Symbol as before.

"Gaz," Dib said, gently, a hand reaching out towards her.

She held up a hand to stop the advance, leaning back and taking a deep breath. When she let out that shaky piece of air, she composed herself entirely, noticing the surprised expression on Gretchen's face and the concern on Dib's.

"I'm fine," she insisted, blankly. "Shouldn't we be . . . I don't know, calling someone who wants to join your stupid team? We're not going to get anything done with your jaw unhinged either."

This was directed towards Gretchen, who shut her mouth abruptly.

Dib gave her a disapproving look but it was clear with others around, he wasn't going to push the matter. Instead he stayed firm, serious, and nodded at her suggestion. "You're right. Did you have anyone in mind?"

Gaz contemplated a moment. Then she scowled at a few people she'd want nothing to do with, but were probably powerful by now.

But Gretchen was enough to deal with. She wasn't going to let anyone else in she didn't like.

"No. No one." She replied, eying him. "Did you?"

"A few," Dib admitted, but Gaz could tell he didn't like his ideas either.

There was a few minutes of contemplative silence.

"Um, I might know a few."

Immediately Gaz and Dib's eyes flew to Gretchen, who had spoken sheepishly. Under their looks she grew more nervous. The siblings shared a look before there eyes returned to her nervous figure.

"And just who did you have in mind?" Gaz asked, cynically.

* * *

*Cause Gretchen could never kill Gaz. Gaz would pretend to die, come back from the dead, kick her ass, torture her for a few years, and then let her loose on the city.

Its 3am. I'm tired.

LEAVE ME ALONE.

Haha. Just kidding, I'm not crazy. Yet.

Till the next chapter!


	14. The Group

COMMENTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

London Bai and Diane Hart

Chapter 13

Who wouldn't have dedication to this wonderful original plot starting from the first story to this story. You've taken planning (either purposfully or not) to a whole new level. And the way you describe nearly everything, one could see, hear, feel, smell, and touch everything that the characters go through.  
In all honesty, I can't find anything to critisize, only come close to worshipping. I'd take guesses about what could happen next, but I don't want to spoil anything if I do guess right, even I REALLY want to know ;D  
One thing I have to say is that you need to get better sleep or it'll show in your writing and I don't want that.  
Okay... nuff said from me :)

**Lol, the funny thing is, I only have markers for my story. Like, I want this to happe and then this, but the road there normally gets so twisted that the original thing I plan gets twisted into a whole different idea that I normally like better anyways.**

**But it still counts! :D So thanks!**

**The sleep thing; I know, right? -_- According to my doctors (I think I've got 9+ now?) I'm supposed to be getting regular sleep, so I've been forcing myself to at least lie down by 1 am. Hopefully I can stick to that.**

**Thanks for making sure I keep myself sane enough to continue writing satisfactory enough for you all! :D**

sikeokilla

Chapter 13

Well I must say dear writer that you can color me impressed. I haven't had a more exciting read since the bible (no no I kid...that book is snoretastic) but still I love your story and the way you lead the readers through the plot with a blindfold on Bravo to you. Bravo.  
Also would you mind terribly if I shipped you...in pieces...to all of Europe?  
No I kid but seriously can I ship you in my story?  
Sincerely yours  
The sikeokilla  
EWC

**(eyes widen, then narrow into a suspicious glare)  
Well that depends . . . what does "ship" mean?**

**Are you all surprised at how little I really know? So far I've asked what "cannon", "ship", and have had you correcting how I'm spelling the very name of my characters.**

**WHO'S A GENIUS? -_- **

**Alas, my brain can only be used for the absurd imagination and things I can come up with.**

**And why must you ship me in pieces? Are you going to kill me?**

**Eh, you wouldn't be the first the threaten that. XD**

**In a story? Now I really want to know what shipping is! D:**

Blood Dragon XIII

Chapter 13

I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and guess that Iggins is Gretchen's cousin, though I really hope thats not the case. I could see Tip and Tine working for Zim later on though.

**O.o**

**Dude . . . You . . . WHAT?**

Oh, you sir are a clever one! I see, I'm going to have to be careful now. I was getting careless with my hints.

**WELL NO LONGER! MEH!**

**(goes into corner and sulks that a piece to my story was guessed correctly)**

**I supposed congratulations are in order . . . So yeah, there ya go.**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 13

5. "Irrelevant to story"  
You jerk!  
6. Tak's father was a real person, he was just kept in a tube, and she brought him out to 'keep up appearances.'  
Oh gee, I wonder who Gretchen knows.  
Guess eight: Not Tak.

**5. You're welcome. :D**

**6. K, thanks.**

**8. Good guess! . . . OR IS IT? XD**

Mr. Mookenstein

Chapter 13

i wasn't talking about her in that sence on taking her i was saying that if she was powerful enough, wouldn't they just take her and use her as a weapon...they do have mind control tech and all..

**Oh, my bad!**

**Well if I told you, that would just ruin the story, now wouldn't it? :D**

Not a creative team name, no.

But effective, yes?

Straight to the point!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 14  
"The Group"**

Thankfully, their clothes shipment had arrived early in the morning.

When Gaz woke up, she found her wardrobe already stocked, courtesy of the maid. Most people would've felt appreciative and grateful they didn't have to unpack but Gaz felt irritated that someone had been in her room whiles she slept and she hadn't woken up to notice. That maid was _really_ getting under her skin. She'd have to do something about it before she had to leave, whenever Zim decided it was safe to kidnap her.

Looking in the mirror, she felt glad she'd ordered mainly combat clothes. True, she did have some rather fancy dresses but they were for the purpose of her sacrifice to Zim, if she was lucky enough to be able to change and prepare herself before she was handed over. The last time Zim had seen her she'd been disheveled, but in a dress. He hardly seemed to notice, but that had been only a couple of days.

Now it had been almost a week.

Which meant only one thing to Gaz; only 2 and 1/2 months before Zim was gone.

The thought made her shiver, but it was true, and Gaz made a habit of not running from the truth. Tricking people into believing it was a lie? Yes. But not dealing with it, hiding from it even?

Not on her life.

Gaz sported a pair of dark jeans now and a red and black, diagonally striped top, along with Dib's glove. She made a promise to only wear both when anticipating a fight, but to make Dib more comfortable (though she'd never admit it), Gaz would wear the one to hide the ring she kept so close to her heart. All she had left of her hold on Zim, since her necklace, no matter the alteration, would always be hers and technically her father's, since it was him she'd stolen it from all those years ago.

Gaz threw on a leather jacket for effect, and it looked _good_. Too good. She scowled at herself in the mirror. Why could these other strangers that would be showing up any minute be able to appreciate her, but not Zim, the one person she gave a damn about looking good in front of? This whole 'separation' thing had been unappealing in theory, but off the papers? It was _unbearable_.

A knock on her door snapped her out of her mental debate about changing (which had turned external, since she'd removed the leather in favor of a red trench-coat that tied at her waist and went to her thighs), making her look up in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed at the familiarity.

A far too familiar knock.

"Come in," she said begrudgingly, tying the coat around her waist.

Said annoying, indifferent maid opened the door. "You're guests have arrived. Your brother requests your presence downstairs."

Gaz had no idea why she didn't like her. The way she distanced herself and just did her job, Gaz figured she would appreciate her or respect her. But this feeling of loathing towards the inferior female she could quite figure out was annoying, only adding to her irritation of the girl.

"What's your name, anyways?" Gaz demanded, eyes narrowing as she asked the question she thought might tell her something more. Maybe she knew her from somewhere and the name would make her remember, since her looks obviously weren't helping any thought process.

The girl gave Gaz a bored, impassive expression. "I can't remember for the life of me."

This definitely caught Gaz off guard. Her brow rose. "Amnesia?"

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," The girl replied, shrugging. "I woke up in a hospital, no recollection of who or what I was, but without any head injuries to explain it. They said I must be suppressing my memories, since something bad obviously happened to me. But I don't remember, so it hardly matters one way or another. Either way, I got a job here, since the owners pitied me. They just call me Furniture anyways. Enough information for you?"

Somehow, Gaz didn't believe a word of what she said. "You're lying."

"And your brother is downstairs," she retorted plainly, bowing to Gaz. "I've told you what I know. Whether you choose to believe it or not is your choice, Madame, but with all due respect, it hardly matters to me. Unless you can tell me my name, I'd appreciate it if we didn't discuss the subject further."

Gaz eyed her suspiciously. That white bonnet on her head was frilly and annoying.

"Fine, I don't care," She replied, shrugging.

"He's downstairs," The maid repeated simply. Then she turned and left.

Gaz scowled after her, shoving her hands in her pockets as she headed down the hallway, towards the stairs. She could already hear the drifting voices from the floor below, some people laughing, mingling uncomfortably. As she turned the corner to the staircase Gaz was able to catch sight of the maid just leaving her sight, probably to speak to Dib. Amused at how this might turn out, she stopped, leaning against the wall, entirely out of view of the people collected below.

She eyed her hand, the sleeve hiding the single glove, and pulled down that small piece of cloth on her finger to see her ring. She smiled at it when she heard Dib's voice clearly cut through the rest.

"Where is she then?"

Gaz snickered, standing up straight and heading towards the stairs.

"Relax, idiot," she insisted, her voice cutting harshly through the silence. "I'm right here."

Gaz could feel all the eyes in the room on her. Quite a crowd, but she guessed some of these were Dib's friends, as there was an obvious division between the gathered people. She eyed them all with distaste, her most intimidating but passive of looks. No one could say she was giving them dirty looks but they also couldn't say she wasn't scaring them either, for no reason besides she was looking at them.

The perfect first impression, in her opinion.

"Gaz," Dib said, crossing his arms. "Where've you _been_?"

She snorted at him, reaching the end of the staircase and placing the gloved hand on her hip. "Upstairs. Where _else_ would I be?"

Dib gave her an irritated look when another knock on the door interrupted the display. Everyone turned around, Gaz peering over Dib's shoulder until he moved to turn around halfway.

The butler got it, opening the doors. "Hello? Oh! Young Mistress and Master, my apologies."

"We hear there are some interesting guests here."

Gaz's eyes narrowed. Did she know those voices from somewhere?

The door opened to reveal two teenagers, probably 13. Both were unnaturally beautiful.

With green hair.

"Gaz, don't-!"

Before Dib could finish his cry of protest, Gaz ripped her necklace off as it transformed into a weapon, pointing it directly at the two newcomers. Her eyes were narrowed and body entirely tense as the room froze, as if everyone was afraid to move.

However, the two well-garbed, enticing twins just smiled.

"Gaz Membrane."

"Aka; Superior."

"Aka; Primary."

"Did you miss us?"

"If I recall, we never really met you-."

"Which leaves the question-."

"How do you know us?"

Gaz hissed, teeth baring at them. "Anyone ever tell you that whole twin thing can get awfully annoying?"

"Yes." Tip replied, smiling all the more.

Tine giggled, stepping forward as the door swung shut behind them. "But you're going to have to deal with it. This _is_ our home, after all."

Dib's eyes widened at the two teenagers he'd fought as children. "You two are Gretchen's cousins."

"Correct," Tine replied, eying him boredly. "May we talk with you two in private?"

"I . . . I guess." Dib replied nervously. Then he turned to the guests, "If you'll excuse us for a moment."

Walking past him, Gaz took a quiet jab at his statement as her weapon morphed back into her necklace, which she draped around her neck. "Like anyone would miss _you_."

She ignored his scowl.

The twins obviously knew where they were going, as this was their house. Sharing a look they followed behind them. The guests all seemed uneasy a moment, but it was what they had signed up for; working under teenagers who had relations to aliens was just kind of asking for weirdness. This was to be expected.

They were led into a study, a butler opening and shutting the doors behind them. Tip and Tine gestured for them to sit in front of the desk while Tip sat in the chair behind it, and Tine sat next to him, on the desk itself. As Gaz had guessed, she'd turned out immensely pretty, but the flirtatious ice in her eyes made it clear that she'd also grown to be a man-eater. She wore a dark green pencil skirt, a white top, and a dark green suit-jacket, obviously tailored to compliment her figure. Tip, beside her, wore dark pants and a white, button-up shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way up, in the style of a model. Both were obviously well aware they were attractive, and were flaunting it.

Gaz was also well aware that if she wanted to, she could do the same thing to people. She was certainly pretty enough. But Gaz had no desire to do so and so chose to intimidate over mesmerize. Maybe if Dib wasn't so awkward he could to the same but the fact was Dib was uncomfortable with himself a bit too much and couldn't allure anyone besides Gretchen and she was just a fan of his image, not him.

"Before we start this meeting," Tip said, hands folded business like on the table. "We would just like to thank you for your help in containing our brother and let you know we hold no grudges for your deed."

"Iggins was out of control." Tine continued. "We were but children, unable to realize that on our own."

"So, in short, thank you for your assistance." Tip amended.

Gaz scoffed. "I didn't do it for _you_."

"Regardless, you did do it," Tip said with finality. "And so we are grateful."

"To business then," Tine continued, hands neatly folded in her lap. "We wish to join your team."

"Payback for your help."

"We don't like owing people."

"What are you called, anyways?" Tip questioned.

Gaz and Dib shared a look.

"Um," Dib turned back to them. "The Group."

Gaz smacked her hand to her forehead. "You _would_ pick a name like that."

"Well I didn't hear any better ideas from _you_!" Dib retorted, pouting, crossing his arms like a child.

She just rolled her eyes.

On both Tip and Tine's faces, a single brow was raised, but they said nothing of the name.

"Very well. We'd like to join the Group." Tine continued. "We think of it as an exciting challenge anyways, taking on an advanced creature."

"Please don't get us wrong," Tip quickly intervened. "We hold none of the same obsessions as Iggins did."

"We're just bored." Tine complained, slightly frowning, her delicate brows furrowing. "And with mother gone, father in a panic and Iggins in a mental hospital, we decided this would be far more interesting then hanging around our home."

"Well, we're always welcome to new recruits." Dib finally said, awkwardly. "We need all the help we can get anyways."

"Glad to be of service," They replied, smiling at them.

There was a moment of silence.

"Well, I'm bored," Gaz said, standing. "I'm going to go scare the new recruits and see which ones are tough enough to stay."

"Sounds like fun!" Tine said, beaming as her eyes sparkled with a vicious gleam.

Gaz eyed her. As much potential as Tine had, she would never amount to half of what Gaz was. She was far too interested in the thrill, not relying on anything that would last. Looks faded. Dominance did not. Lust dimmed. Fear only got worse.

Tine smirked, as if she thought Gaz was appraising her. "Shall we go?"

She snorted. "I'm not your tutor. I don't give a damn where you go."

Stunned, Tine stood as Gaz turned around, leaving her where she was. Tip approached his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. Dib shot them nervous, apologetic looks before following after her.

* * *

Gaz was surprised to find some faces she recognized.

Zita, from Skool, was there. Figures Gretchen would call the VP to their little fan club but the second she'd laid eyes on Gaz, who was apparently her hero and target, and the glare she gave her, Zita was all business. And as it turned out, her father was a paranormal studier, much to Dib's surprise. That explained her strange talismans he'd always thought as coincidental fashion statements. Zita went on to explain her father made her wear them, much to her complaint, but now that at least some of his research was real, she was only too happy to help. In fact, her father was a member of the Swollen Eyeball but she'd sworn secrecy and loyalty to the Membrane siblings, as did everyone else.

Tip and Tine helped weed out the really interested from the psychotic to the, oddly enough, spy. A burned spy who had heard the rumors of the meeting and had tried to use the opportunity to his advantage, despite the fact his government was in ruins and would do him no good. At first, Dib was unsure what to do with him until Gaz had suggested he be given to the twins, specifically Tine. In truth, she just wanted to see what the girl would do with the man, the ultimate test, and Tine had leeringly taken the man off their hands, out the back, and came back without him.

Gaz almost asked what had happened, but that would give her a gloating opportunity. A gift Gaz was not willing to give away so easily to the girl clearly trying to live up to she who beat her seemingly all-powerful brother. Gaz wasn't impressed but if it kept her around to help, so be it. She could handle pests as good as anyone, if not clearly better.

However, in his sister's absence (while dealing with the spy out back), Tip had noticed the glove worn only on one of Gaz's hands. As if able to feel the eyes on it, her ring just suddenly popped into Gaz's thoughts and she looked down at it, looking up to lock eyes with Tine. As children, Gaz had pegged Tine for the leader of their pair, but it was now clear it was always her brother in charge. Tine was a free-spirited vixen, one of the reasons she could never be like Gaz. The control she lacked without her brother made her a liability if she wasn't handled properly, but it was clear by her attitude overall that Tip had gotten using his sister down to an art now. It was a partnership that benefited them both equally.

"What is it for?" Tip asked, not bothering to pretend he hadn't been looking.

Gaz eyed her hand a moment before looking at him. "And why should I tell you?"

"I could always just steal it."

"And I could always just kill you."

He smirked at her. "Well said."

Now Tip. _Tip_ Gaz was growing respect for. He, too, would never be as intimidating as she, but he was smart enough to be manipulative. And cunning was something that only got better with practice, when one learned all the tricks in the book, whether he'd read them or written them himself.

"I'll find out eventually."

"If that were true, then you wouldn't be asking me now." Gaz retorted, plainly. Word-play was her specialty.

Tip's scowl proved he still had much to learn.

"Information offered sooner often holds benefits for later." Tip retorted.

A rough play on 'sooner than later', but one Gaz caught. She smirked at him. "Nice attempt, but you'll have to work on your wording."

She felt like a 50 year-old speaking to her child-protégé. It was irritating. She was nobodies' teacher.

"However, to keep you from further bothering me, and letting you focus on the tasks at hand, since your irritation will gain me nothing but amusement, I will show you to put your mind at ease."

Gaz lifted the piece covering the ring, revealing it a moment before letting it back into place.

Tip's brow rose, looking up at her. "You're engaged to him? I thought that was just a rumor."

"A rumor, but a true one." Gaz replied. "It was a proposal and the ring will blow a state up if removed. It doesn't make sense how that would work, but since this _is_ Zim, I'm sure he's figured out something."

Tip eyed her. "You seem to know him well."

"I dated him. I would hope so."

"Was that odd dating something of a different species?" He sounded intrigued now.

Gaz smirked down at him. "He was much different and pleasant then most humans, I'll admit, but he often proved himself a hassle nonetheless."

"Ah," Tip nodded. "Relationships, I find, only end badly, rarely with rewards. You strike me as someone who agrees on that subject. What made you decide to trust an alien?"

Gaz's brows rose. That was definitely a question she hadn't thought about in a while. She thought, fingers touching her chin before looking out the window to answer, thoughtfully.

"Despite our species difference, we are one of the same." She looked back to Tip seriously. "If you cannot trust yourself, then you've done something terribly wrong with your life."

"Very motivational."

"I try."

Gaz turned away from him as she caught sight of the slightest insecurity in a guest's eyes. A smile graced her lips for a split second before resuming her seriousness once more and heading towards the man.

Tip, watching after her, pitied the man. While Tip did have a hard facade on the outside, he really did feel sympathy on the inside. Unlike his sister, who only had empathic capabilities, Tip was both empathic and sympathetic*. His touching on his sister's shoulder in her time of surprise at Gaz's nasty remark was a small demonstration of that. While he respected Gaz, he wasn't a big of a fan as Tine was. He preferred to stick to his studies of humans and how to use them to his advantage over getting others to do his work for him. Tip preferred to do some things himself, finding a weakness and exploiting it rather than making one's self the weakness. It just got complicated sometimes.

Gaz's relationship with Zim was an obvious example of that. She had probably used him at the start, for whatever reason, only to truly care for him, and now look where she was. Forcibly engaged to the psychotic man (because Tip considered him human-like in some ways, just far more intelligent) who was planning on dealing with their unfinished business eventually.

"Brother!" Tine called, coming back into the room, smiling pleasantly. "I have returned!"

Tip's brow rose. "What did you do with the man?"

Tine's smile became ever more frightening. To someone else. Tip was immune to these looks, thanks to her. They'd never scared him, as he'd adapted the better she'd got at this look.

"He is currently in the cellar." Tine said.

Tip nodded, having expected this, "_Ah_."

That was all that needed to be said as Tine ran off, after her beloved Gaz.

* * *

*This might be confusing. Let me explain. Empathic means you are aware of how others feel. Sympathetic means you care. So, for example, while Tine might be aware of when people are sad, she doesn't care. And Tip would have that same awareness, he just_ would_ care. Get it?

If you notice the similarities I draw between Gaz/Tine and Dib/Tip, they are on purpose. While Tip is infinitely harsher then nice, sometimes awkward Dib, he still acts generally the same, he just studies people instead of the paranormal. And while Tine is more interested in using her body and looks against people and Gaz just scares the crap out of them, they're both relatively the same.

I like the idea that somewhere out there, there are siblings like them, even if there _are_ differences, since the twins relationship is a lot more business-like then Gaz and Dib's sibling connection.

Well, that explained a lot.

Till the next chapter!


	15. Love and War

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, COMMMENTSES!

London Bai and Diane Hart

Chapter 14

I adore how you brought the twins back into the story. That was a clever surprise for us readers, especially with how you've made them similar in attributes with Gaz And Dib themselves.  
One question I have: You're previous stories have been 15 or so chapters, so is this going to much longer or just a few more chapters? (I ask because the more chapters, the more I get to read your fabulous work :D )

**Honestly?**

**Trust me. This is going to be one LONG. ASS. STORY.**

**It's both a good or bad thing. You, as readers, get to decide.**

ForceWalker

Chapter 14

The Group?...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's even worse than the Resisty name! Dib sucks at names! I really had expected better! Definitely Invader Zim-esque like.  
Also you never answered my previous question: Is Tak taller in this story, or is she still the same height as before?

**I know, right? It just fit.  
Oh, you people and your Tak obsession. That, I will leave for you to discover when she shows up.**

**I can't very well give EVERYTHING away, now can I?**

Potatoes4Eva

Chapter 14

MY BRAIN EXPLODED. That's how amazing this chapter was. Iggins... Will HE be in the story? He is mentioned, of course, but now I'm curious. WILL HE HAVE A MENTAL BREAKDOWN WHEN HE SEES GAZ? Makes my head itchy. :3  
Anyhow, I am anticipating the next chapter even more so than usual. :D This story's getting so very interesting indeed.  
OoooooooooOoOOooooooo I sounded kinda spoooooookyyyy... I should stop being so creeping formal. :{D -Gotta mustache.

**I'm still debating whether or not I want him to show up.**

**LET'S PUT IT TO A VOTE! EVERYBODY GO ON MY PAGE AND DO THE POLL!**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 14

"Iggins is Gretchen's cousin" I did NOT see that coming, probably because I keep forgetting about Iggins, all through out the second one, I was all like, "Now why are we here again? Oh yeah, that guy."  
8. Do you mean to imply that they have some sort of... Dib fanclub? You don't strike me as the type to write... um... threesomes... and then later on in the chapter you mentioned ZITA and a fanclub, so my mind went all to hell, and I was laughing all the while.  
Shipping, incase you haven't been answered, is a little thing used in fandom to say you support two characters in a relationship. As such, you are a ZaGr shipper, but really its used used in fandoms with abundant characters, (Pokemon, Golden Sun... ext...) Some fandoms just use blankXblank or others use couple names (Avatar: The Last Airbender, iCarly.)  
But I don't think that's what he was talking about. He was talking about shipping. Like, international shipping.  
Anyway: Nice to see Dib and Gaz getting an following, very good to see you've actually remembered to age Tip and Tine (I'd forget). Good to be some step closer to Tak.

**LOL. That's cuz Iggin's is annoying and nobody likes him.**

**Wait, what threesomes do you mean? O.o OMG, WHAT AM I UNINTENTIONALLY PUTTING IN MY STORY?**

**AND YES! I forgot who it was who asked about the time change and am too lazy to go back and look, so I will tell you all know, these two are the first reason that made me want to jump a few years. I wanted them teenagers, so that you as readers could see how these two little brats grew up to be of use. It irritated me that they were left on such a cliffhanger and I while I was plotting the points for this story, I came up with the idea of bringing them back.**

**Thanks for the shipping explanation!**

Yes, FINALLY SOME ACTION IN THIS WORLD CONQUEST!

AND HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS, I JUST CHECKED MY STATS FOR THIS STORY! 908 PEOPLE ARE READING THIS SHIT! O.o

And I've only got 118 reviews? Well, I'm still super excited anyways!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 15  
"Love and War"**

They were in the forest out back, training.

Gaz didn't know what Dib was thinking.

Some of these people were amateurs, at best, save for Zita, the twins, and surprisingly, Gretchen. Apparently Gretchen, as an heiress, had learned to take care of herself at an early age. She was skilled in combat. She had nothing on Gaz or Dib but still, it was something. There were a few others who could fight, quite skillfully (Dib had mentioned something about them being former Swollen Eyeball recruits he'd stayed in touch with), but it wasn't enough. Gaz knew that, even if Dib was too optimistic to care.

"Having doubts?" Zita asked, sitting next to her.

Gaz looked out at the demonstrations Dib was showing on techniques. "You can't doubt something you didn't believe in in the first place."

Zita stared, surprised. "Then why are you helping?"

"I'm going to kill him," Gaz replied simply, feeling Zita's wide eyes bore into her. "Either that, or he'll steal me."

"Steal you?"

Gaz scowled bitterly and looked down. "It's common knowledge that he cares for me, Zita. Don't you watch the news gossip?"

Zita smiled. "I don't listen to rumors. I prefer to get my information from the source."

"You should be an informant." Gaz replied, her face returning to the unreadable slate from before. "Well, you saw us together at Skool. I'm mad at him now. He's such an idiot!"

Startled by her growl, Zita nervously leaned away a bit. "Do you still love him?"

"I never loved him." Gaz said at once, severely. It was a lie, but one that was necessary to keep suspicion away. "But I liked him. We worked well as a team, together, or whatever you want to call it."

"I know this is none of my business, but . . . Do you ever . . . miss him?" Zita asked, uncomfortably, but sympathetic somehow.

Gaz hadn't expected that question. She was getting sort of irritated with these people. Had everyone just been assigned to ask her something that was hard to answer today? Screw this 'Group', Gaz couldn't wait to get the hell out of here.

Now Zim just needed to present an opportunity to them.

Just then Dib got a call on his cell phone. Gaz heard the ring, even from across the field. She turned around, ignoring the question as Dib pulled his phone out, flipping it open.

"Hello?"

And suddenly he was pale.

Gaz stood up. And though her brother was across the room for her, unlikely to hear her, she demanded, "Dib?"

Zita turned as well. "What's going on?"

Dib slammed his phone shut. "EVERYBODY DOWN!"

People dropped to the floor just as something soared over their heads, past them, and into the trees. A few seconds later it exploded, rocking the floor around them.

Gaz was furious. How could Zim be so reckless with her brother?

She stood, ripping her necklace off as it morphed. "I think we're getting a visit from our enemy."

Suddenly a raucous laughter filled everyone's ears. Gaz had guessed there'd be more screaming but there wasn't a one. Eying them at a glance, their faces simply suspicious and slightly apprehensive, maybe she had underestimated this bunch of rag-tag civilians.

"Hello, _Dib_!"

The electronic voice seemed to be everywhere. Gaz kept her sword at her side, on the ready. If Zim was here to fight only one person, he'd probably have an army. She'd have to go easy on them to keep the fight going for a reasonable amount of time.

Too bad this wasn't public.

"I see you've made some friends while I was away. You'd think they'd be repulsed by your big head!"

"MY HEAD IS NOT BIG!" Dib shouted, then, not as psychotic, he shouted. "Where are you, Zim?"

"Oh, no, not yet! You'll have to come _find me_!"

Gaz's eyes narrowed. What was he getting at?

"Or maybe," his voice took a smug tone to it. "I'll _bring_ you all to me!"

Suddenly a light glowed beneath their feet, white, surrounding the entire area. Not a person was excluded and as Gaz stood on the boulder, next to Zita, who had by now jumped to her feet, she felt the slight heat of whatever thing they were on was emanating. This time people gave shouts of surprise but still, no one screamed in terror.

The twins, in fact, only had a brow raised as they knelt, touching the light with their hands. Dib stared at it in shock, trying to figure out how Zim had set up this trap.

There was a flash that blinded everyone. Gaz hissed, her free hand raising to shield her eyes. When she felt it fade, she opened them again, looking around to find their positions had changed.

They were in DC again, the city.

And plenty of reporters were around, not to mention people staring at them in wonder.

Gaz's feet hit the ground and she landed in a crouch, the rock having disappeared from under her. Zita fell over and Gaz helped her up, with her free hand, her grip never relinquishing on her weapon. "You grab the rest of the Group and get these people out of here, protect them. Dib and I will take care of Zim and whatever army he's got coming our way."

"Got it!" Zita agreed, running off.

And of course, the cameras were out now. Gaz whipped her arm to her side and the sword burst into flames, courtesy of her. Now she had a _flaming_ weapon to play with, and most of the attention as she headed towards Dib.

"Where's Zim?" She demanded, standing next to her brother.

He looked around, pulling out his latest toy. A pair of armor-gloves, that shot lasers from the hands. He planned on building a whole suit, if he could, but he hadn't had the time yet. The hands were also indestructible, and could punch through anything. Suitable weapons in her opinion.

The ground began to tremor and this time, there _were_ screams, from the onlooking civilians, staring at the people who had come from nowhere in a burst of light, with advanced weaponry.

Gaz could already hear Zita and the others trying to shoo them away, but they wouldn't budge, shock and curiosity overcoming them. She looked up at once as something caught her eye, heading towards them.

Gaz's eyes narrowed at the slowly growing shape coming towards them. "What the hell is that?"

Dib glared at it. "I don't know, but it's heading this way!"

"Figure that out all on your own?" Gaz growled, standing erect in the defensive position, sword at the ready.

The immensity of the figure became known as it approached, probably the size of a three-story building. Gaz's brow rose. She hadn't expected Zim to be _that_ dramatic. Sure, a flaming sword was pushing things a bit but a giant robot? Now this was just getting ridiculous!

The thing landed, heavily, rocking the ground once. It was bulky, red, and armored.

An electronic laugh filled the area. However, it was one Gaz recognized.

And it was not Zim's.

"What the hell is he thinking letting Gir operate that kind of machinery?" Gaz demanded, furiously. This was just reckless!

Still people were screaming but only a few of them had the sense to run. All of the news cameras were there though, trained on the robot and it's psychotic little giggle.

"Gir!" Gaz shouted, hands on her hips. "What are you doing? Where's Zim?"

"GAZZY!"

The scream echoed all around and everyone covered their ears, save Gaz, who just flinched.

He'd screamed louder before.

The robot knelt, it's head visor disappearing to reveal Gir, sitting in the chair and waving at her enthusiastically. Controls surrounded him and he beamed at her, jumping up and stepping on a few as he pressed his hands against the glass. A few missiles went off but they had no aim, soaring into telephone poles and street-lights.

"I misseded you!" Gir complained, becoming sad. "Master said I couldn't see you no more! But then today, he gave me this, and said I'd get to see you again today!"

"Great story, Gir." Gaz said sarcastically. "But where _is_ Zim?"

"I dunno!" Gir said, shrugging and sitting back down. Then his eyes averted red. "But he said I get to play with the puppy-head!"

"Puppy-head?" Both Membrane children said in unison.

Gir pointed directly at Dib. "LET'S PLAY!"

The big robot jumped to his feet and smashed down where Dib had been as he jumped away, narrowly avoiding getting killed. The impact beside her sent Gaz skidding backwards, her eyes wide with alarm. Was Zim _insane_? Gir was going to get Dib killed!

"DIB!" She shouted, racing towards where the two had moved.

Suddenly a hand caught her wrist, jerking her backwards. She was spun back around, eyes shut as she impacted with something hard. However when she felt arms steady her, gripping her gently, she froze.

Immediately her eyes snapped open to come face-to-face with a smug, taunting expression. "Hello, _Gaz_."

Her eyes narrowed. "Zim."

"Miss me?"

"You're going to get Dib killed!" She snapped, trying to push him away from her.

However, he pulled her back, snickering at her frustration. He was stronger than her.

And he knew it.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he insisted, stroking her face as he restrained her. "But we _are_ going to fight."

"Well, I can't promise you the same courtesy," she hissed, struggling. "Now let me go!"

"Make it convincing." He said sweetly. But the antagonizing spark in his eye was far too prominent to be sincere kindness.

Gaz growled, angry with him for his careless nature. "No problem!"

It was then Gaz remembered her sword and smirked. Zim's brow rose and then his eyes widened as he jumped away, shrieking a bit as he cried out in pain at the burn the sword had created on his leg, as Gaz had rested it against him. He patted at the smoking piece of his pants, glad to find nothing burnt away. A few more seconds and he probably wouldn't have been quite as lucky.

Zim glanced over her shoulder. Cameras were trained on both her and Zim and he smirked at them, turning back to her. "You have quite the fan-base now, or so I hear."

"I asked you to leave Dib out of this!" She snapped back. "How could you _do this_?"

"Oh, he won't hurt him!" Zim said nonchalantly, PAK extending appendages. "Dib will probably convince him to blow up the robot or something within a few minutes. That doesn't give me a lot of time with _you_, though, unfortunately."

"You better hope you're right, for your sake!" Gaz growled.

She charged at him, sword aflame at her side as she rushed Zim's figure. Gaz leaped up, sword high above her head. Zim shielded and there was a loud crack as the weapon and his force field collided. Gaz leaped backwards, away from the barrier, glaring at Zim. He seemed awfully smug.

"_My_ turn."

Zim's tentacles shot from his PAK, shooting towards her. Gaz sliced a few of them, but that didn't stop him. The separated pieces flopped uselessly on the floor, electricity shooting out from them. In her haste to avoid them, leaping away, she narrowly dodged a tentacle catching her. She continued to swipe but they continued coming.

The sound of glass shattering caught her attention.

She hit the ground in a crouch, staring as Gir punched a building. Dib was on his head, speaking to him. Zim was right. Dib would probably manipulate him into deactivating the giant robot soon enough.

But until then-.

Gaz felt the tentacle wrap around her waist, restraining her arms and pinning them at her sides. She began kicking violently as she was pulled back towards Zim, who grinned smugly at her.

Never before had Gaz wanted to punch him so badly.

"Let . . . _go_!" She hissed, grunting as she pulled at the bonds that held her.

Zim just chuckled, murmuring quietly in her ear. "You need to make a daring escape from the hunter. You can't do that if I don't have you."

Gaz's eyes narrowed. Her sword was still in her hand, but it was useless. "You're going to make a scene, aren't you?"

"Gaz!" Zita's voice shouted, terrified, apparently catching sight of her compromising position.

His tongue flicked out of his mouth in a lizard-like motion, however it slithered when out, like a squirming snake. "I would _never_."

Gaz's eyes widened as he placed his hand behind her head. "Zim, don't-!"

But then his lips were upon hers, that slippery tongue invading her mouth without a seconds hesitation. Gaz's eyes remained wide, forcing herself not to return the kiss but giving Zim his moment. His tongue worked against hers, tenderly, but with enough love behind it for Gaz to know how much he desperately missed her, and this touch. Zim's hands cupped her face, gently, as if she would break.

Her hands curled into fists. Though she couldn't touch him, she wanted to.

_Sorry Zim_, Gaz thought in her head, half remorseful, half satisfied that he was getting what he deserved for putting Dib in danger (a task she reserved for herself, and only herself).

She kicked her leg up. _Hard_.

He broke away from her, tentacles remaining curled around her, but not touching her. Gaz pushed up, leaping out of the metal bonds. She kicked her leg out, nailing Zim in the chest. He landed on his back, Gaz landing in a squatted position, one leg out to the side and the sword flat on the floor. Gaz had slammed her hand down, since she'd almost lost her grip on it. Her shape-shifting necklace was one of the few things she was _not_ willing to lose.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Zim." She growled. "I want answers!"

Zim looked up at her though, reading her eyes like a book. She didn't mean it. In fact, Gaz looked as if she wished she could've been held longer. It only made Zim feel all the more need to have her with him again, to be able to embrace her freely, without worrying about prying eyes.

On the bright side, the remaining crowd was cheering. For _Gaz_. And Dib, of course, as they were owning. It pleased Zim. At the very least, this good press would get her where she needed to be. He'd have her soon enough.

Zim got to his feet, as if it hurt. But he caught Gaz's eyes, letting her know he was mostly uninjured. A bit sore, yes, but not harmed.

"You'll get them when I get what I want, Gaz." Zim replied.

They both were aware half of the cameras were trained on them as they circled each other, never gaining or losing distance.

"What do you mean?" Gaz demanded, warily, on guard.

Zim's eyes narrowed at her. "Do you have _any_ idea how hard it was for Zim to leave you? I did all of this for _you_, Gaz! Everything Zim has ever done in two years has been for _you_!"

Her eyes widened, freezing a moment. Then she glared furiously at him as she shook her head. "You don't actually mean that! You _lied_ to me!"

"I never lied to you!" Zim shouted back. "I protected you from this, so you wouldn't be at risk when I couldn't take you with me! You aren't someone who should be hated and blamed by her own species because of who you had a relationship with! Zim didn't want that for you!"

"Shut up!" Gaz ordered, pointing her sword at him. "Stop lying to me!"

Zim stopped, glaring at her.

"If I didn't love you," He growled, darkly. "I would've killed you by now. If I didn't know it would upset you, I would've killed your brother and your father as soon as this all started."

Gaz was left silent by the truth behind their false argument. She swallowed hard, looking at him with an unreadable expression on her stony face.

Something whined, incredibly loud.

"GAZ RUN!" Dib shrieked, from the safety of a rooftop, stopping and staring in horror as his sister turned around. He was on the roof, civilians safely on the roof with him and the rest of the Group.

Gir was shutting down, making an explosion of the robot for his entertainment. The little SIR unit ejected, soaring high into the air with a psychotic and loud scream of joy. However, even as Gaz stepped backwards, she knew she had no time.

Without anything else to do, she lifted the arm with the sword, blocking her vision.

"Self-destruct in 3. 2. 1."

"NO!" Dib shrieked, restrained by everyone around him.

Gaz shut her eyes tight, arm lowering and standing at the ready.

Something hit her side, throwing her to the floor as the explosion resounded. Something must've fallen on her as there was a weight on top of her. It didn't crush her but it was sort of hard to breath already because of how hard she hit the ground.

The floor shook a while more and Gaz was able to open her eyes to see a surprising sight.

Zim had his knees on either side of her waist, her chest pressed against his as his eyes shut tight, intense focus and possibly pain riddled on his face. Gaz stared at him, looking past his shoulder to see his force-field protecting them both.

He could've left.

Why had she expected him to?

Zim's hands were on her back, she realized, his strained body slowly pressing further against her as he strained under the weight of the explosion he was protecting her from. Finally he was so far down that his head was only inches from her face, drooping lower as his arms bent under the pressure.

Gaz could only think of one thing to give him energy. Especially with how close he was.

She leaned up a little, mouth next to where an ear would be.

"I love you," she said, quietly.

Somehow, he heard it.

His eyes snapped open, red eyes boring into hers as she rested her head back on the floor that had never been more than a few inches away. She just looked at him, slightly wary, uncomfortable at her admission, despite the truth behind her words.

And then Zim's eyes filled with determination, and he slowly stopped straining, just looking down at the thing that matter most to him. What kind of Irken was he if he couldn't protect the female he loved?

Gaz's head rested on his chest as Zim's arm curled around her, keeping her off the ground and to his form.

Finally the last of the real explosions hit and only smoke was there. Even still Zim kept up the barrier around them, until the black clouds rolled away from them. He couldn't risk damaging her primitive lungs, now could he?

The force-field flickered out just after Dib caught view of Gaz, pressed protectively against Zim. He breathed a sigh of relief, but was still apprehensive at how he held her.

She was alive, at least.

All the cameras focused in on their image, fascinated and shocked. This was just too juicy. By the end of the day this would be all over the internet, news, and talk-show TV.

Zim's hold loosened on her as the force-field died. Gaz's eyes opened, staring at him with confused and surprised eyes that didn't understand. Zim gave her an unreadable look, eying her seriously as he lowered her back onto the floor. He took her dropped sword, somehow reverting it without her help and replacing it around her neck, gently.

"Gir!" Zim shouted, getting back to his feet and turning away from her. "We're leaving!"

The robot descended from the black clouds, saluting, eyes temporarily red. "Yes sir!" Then he looked down at Gaz, who stared at him, returning back to his giggly-self. "Bye, Mistress!"

And they disappeared in a flash of light.

Gaz laid on the floor, breathing heavily and feeling the polluted air as she inhaled enter her lungs. She couldn't move. Not that she was physically unable; it was just a great ordeal, even for her, to think she was about to die, only to be saved.

Dib was suddenly there, probably having jumped from the roof like an idiot, picking her up, hands under her legs and back.

"Are you okay?" Dib demanded, fear and concern dominant on his features.

Gaz blinked away her shock, nodding as she touched her head with one hand. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"He saved you," Zita said, suddenly there, staring at Gaz.

And then the reporters came.

"Gaz Membrane! Gaz, over here!"

"What did Invader Zim say to you?"

"Do you love him?"

"He saved her life disregarding her own! She should!" Some bold news reporter shouted, in an attempt to get a reaction from her.

Gaz leaned against Dib's chest, "I don't know what to do, Dib. Tell me what to do."

"I'm sorry." He just held her tighter Gaz. "I don't know either, Gaz. I really don't."

They walked past the reports. Gretchen had already called for cars and the first one that arrived, the Membrane siblings and she got in, shortly followed by the rest of the Group.

And Gaz said nothing the whole way home. When she got back to the guest house, Gaz just went upstairs, locked the door, and slept.

She missed Zim. Impossibly so.

Her heart ached in ways she'd once thought others should be punished for feeling. Why did anyone need anyone else? They didn't!

As her body warmed where Zim had held her, anger filled her as she realized just how wrong she had been.

* * *

Zim transported home to find Skoodge, waiting for him, as instructed.

"Tokyo has surrendered, sir!" He announced, handing him a packet of paper. "A document has been sent to us of their allegiance."

"Two out of seven." Zim muttered, counting the continents in his head. His eyes scanned the language, nodding as each separate country's surrender. His face was hard by the end of it, handing it back to his temporary minion. "This has gone on long enough. My rule is assured."

"Meaning, sir?" Skoodge asked, nervous and confused.

Zim brushed past him. "Tomorrow I give the order. Either Gaz is delivered to me, or I blow up the planet."

"Do you mean that, sir?" Skoodge gaped, surprised at this revelation.

Zim paused, thinking about it. Then his face hardened further.

"Yes. Absolutely."

* * *

Aw, so cute.

THE NASTY SCENES YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR WILL COME SOON AFTER THEIR REUNION.

Zim still has to get married, like he wants.

And will Dib let Zim keep his sister so easily?

No! He won't take it up the butt!

. . . .

. . . .

Yeah, I know. You don't have to say it.

Till the next chapter!


	16. So Sacrifice Yourself

CoMmEnTs . . . that took an unbelievable amount of time to write right there, if that's hard to believe. Sad, huh?

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 15

The threesome you were "accidentally adding to the story": GretchenXDibXTak. But please, don't do it. I will *not* be dissappointed if you don't, and really, I'd be shocked and completely mortified if you *did.*  
What guess am I on now? Nine? I feel I should make one to stand on ceremony. Guess nine: Tak is in Siberia. I think my guesses are losing their pizazz.  
Actual chapter: Fight scene was good, but generally, I try to avoid having two separate fights going on at once. Because, in this situation at least, it leaves the reader wondering about what kind of logic Dib used to make GIR blow up the robot, but what ever.  
Zim protecting Gaz from the explosion was cute. But not cute enough to make up for the fact that there is no Tak.  
Also, the closing comments were funny.

**LOL. You'll have to see about that. I won't reveal anything that is explained in later chapters.**

**Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're on 9.**

**9. Why Siberia? And no.**

**YAY! I'M FUNNY!**

**My gosh people, HERE:  
TWO MORE CHAPTERS, OKAY?**

**There. Now scream with your girlish joy (whether any of you are male of female).**

pureflowersand2684

Chapter 15

I love the story. I also like when you bring in all the characters even though it mostly revolves around the couples. But I'm kinda missing minimoose here and there. Oh and another thing is there going to be other pairing or just zim and gaz? I'm also missing the daily life comments that usually come with the chapters, but still it's a very good series, keep up the good work, tata. ;)

**Oh, that little floating ball of mass destruction. He's running around SOMEWHERE.**

**Dear reader, pairings in my story are revealed in the chapters, not within my comments.**

**HOWEVER, the COMMENTS thing I can surely help you with. :D**

**My daily weird-ass life experiences will be placed at the end of the chapter for further notice, so they don't get mixed up with all of YOUR comments. Glad to know someone is interested in my life. XD**

ForceWalker

Chapter 15

Oh man, that was epic! Fights, explosions, cameras, love, romance, revelations, and just nonstop intensity! I loved this chapter! You sir...are an artist! I bow down to your awesomeness!  
And we just have to know all we can about Tak! But if Tak isn't taller, I'm going to be pissed! Seriouly, I think I speak for everyone when we want a tall Tak!  
But something tells me she's about to appear very soon!

**O.o**

**I think I've infected you all wih "Tak Syndrome".**

**You are correct.**

**2 more chapters.**

sanzo-forgetme-plz

Chapter 15

WOW AWSOME CHAPTER this realy rocked my world and whats with this zita chick trying to befriend Gaz? will u be writing more on this friend ship thing? and oh ya GIR he finaly showed up! i was starting to miss that little fool god i love him oh Zims my fav too. Gaz is second :)

**Zita is the classic example of the average smarter fangirl. As I mentioned, Zita is a a fan of Gaz and adores her like Gretcehen adores Dib, but uses ways sneakier and not as psychotic to try to befriend her idol.**

**GIR NEEDED TO SHOW UP!**

**OOOOOH, points for ZIM!**

By the way, the poll, you guys? Only 6 people so far.

Mhm, yeah.

The title of this chapter is dedicated to a line from "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin. LISTEN TO THAT SONG, IT'S AWESOME.

**"So sacrifice yourself  
And let me have what's left  
I know that I can find  
The fire in your eyes!"**

Mhm. Knew that by heart.

That song seriously is amazing, and reminds me of what Zim would say about Gaz if something ever happened to her, like if she flickered in and out of that hypnotism Iggins had on her or something like it. He just is stubborn and desires her like that.

Anyways, FINALLY THEY GET TO BE TOGETHER AGAIN, OFFICIALLY!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 16  
"So Sacrifice Yourself"**

Dib woke up early.

He couldn't sleep much, too absorbed in his own thoughts throughout the night. Did Zim really love his sister? And even if he did, did Dib trust him to take care of her? To not just use her to satisfy his own needs?

In his drifting unconsciousness, Dib had a flashback.

_"I deactivated the security against you," He promised, eying Gaz, who was half-asleep now. "She okay?"_

_"Your sister is simply tired," Zim assured him. "I'll sit in the back."_

_Dib opened the back door, letting Zim slide inside, warily, still holding Gaz. When nothing happened he relaxed as Dib shut the door, going around the front to get in the drivers side. Thus doing so he glanced at Zim through his mirror. "Huh."_

_"What?" Zim demanded, glaring at him through the mirror, noticing the staring._

_Dib shook his head, starting the car. "Didn't think you really cared about her."_

_"What-?"_

_He'd smiled a little, unseen by Zim with his back to him._

_"You've got that look when you look at her." Dib replied as he pulled out onto the grass, moving across onto the road back to his house._

So Zim loved Gaz. His arch-nemesis loved his little sister.

How had he gotten her involved in this? Why did Zim want _her_, of all people? He already knew the answer; because Gaz was different. Both of them were the prime of their species. And while Zim hated Dib, he loved Gaz. In a way it sort of made sense.

He curled in tightly against himself, wanting to cry. He was going to lose his sister to a monster.

_No_. A part of him growled. _You're her big brother! Start acting like one and protect her!_

But did Gaz want to be protecting? Despite what she believed, Dib saw those looks in her eyes when he brought Zim up. Even when Gaz had been so bluntly assaulted by Zim in battle, she had hesitated in kicking him. Gaz was pissed, but she was always pissed. There had never been a fight the two of them could never resolve. It scared Dib.

He was losing everything! **_How could they not see that_**?

Gaz was all did had left in the world, since his father was in hiding probably by now. Then Dib was wondering if _he_ was being the selfish one, not Zim. Zim loved Gaz, enough to risk his life on countless occasions to protect her where Dib could not. He was constantly being outshone by his rival when it came to his sister. Did that mean Zim was better for Gaz, a lover worth more then a brother? It wasn't his decision to make, though, he knew that much.

It was Gaz's.

He got up in the morning, groaning at how tired he was, but knowing he would get no more sleep. He dressed tiredly, slowly, having taken a shower when he got home last night. When Dib got up he opened the door just in time to see that weird maid from before walking by, a laundry basket in her hand. It was probably Gretchen's.

"Uh, hey," Dib said, not quite sure why he was venturing on these grounds.

The maid paused, a brow rising at his greeting, as if she was thinking the same thing. "Good morning, sir. Is there something I can help you with?"

Dib noticed she had an accent he couldn't place. He smiled at her awkwardly, "No, just making friendly conversation."

She smiled at him but Dib got the feeling she pitied him. Maybe he would pity him too, if he was in her situation; a guest of the house she worked in so desperate to talk to someone, he was resorting to the help (or 'furniture' as Gretchen still called them, a term he wasn't very fond of).

"I thank you for your consideration, but I'm busy at the moment." She replied, bowing slightly. "You will have to excuse me."

"Oh yeah, sure, sorry to keep you!" He said quickly, smiling at her nervously. "See you later, then."

Her brow rose and she smirked, but nodded. "Yes. Of course. I will see you later."

And the she left, down the hallway. Dib couldn't help notice how frumpy she was dressed, hiding any figure she might have had. But she was a maid, he reasoned. Any looks she'd had had probably faded with hard work.

Dib shook of his awkwardness, heading into the main room again. Gaz, of course, was nowhere to be seen. He didn't expect her to be downstairs. She'd probably hide in her room all day. She was there in spirit, though, he noted, eying the television screen.

The giant TV was on the news channel. Gaz's face was all over it, currently playing her freeing herself from Zim's forced kiss. Able to see it from more then the corner of his eye now, Dib saw just how desperately he clung to Gaz, knowing full-well she'd slip from his grasp in a moments time. They were calling her brave, a hero. She and Dib were all over the news, their rebellion already famous. Dib had never expected it to go like this.

Gretchen was upon him at once, "Good morning, Dib! You look awfully dashing this morning."

This comment was demonstrated with a batting of her lashed.

Dib just gave her a dull look. "Yeah, lack of sleep will do that to you."

Her eyes widened. "I didn't-!"

The TV channel went to a blank screen, catching all of their attentions at once, especially Dib's.

And who would show up but Zim at a time like this?

He looked serious, no arrogance in his face.

"This is a direct message to the Group that rebels against me." He said, looking severely at the camera. "I'm going to blow up this continent."

Everyone gave shouts of alarm.

"_Unless_," Zim continued, breaking from his pause. "You give to me the most valuable of your group." His eyes narrowed. "You _know_ who I want, Dib. And unless she's delivered to me by the time I send you at the coordinates I will give your computer, you, and everyone else on this stupid piece of rock will be killed. And it will be on _your_ heads."

Dib stepped forward, furious with disbelief. "How can you make her do this, Zim? She's _vulnerable_ now!"

Zim glared at him. "I can't live without her, Dib."

"You'd kill her if you blew this place up!" He shouted back, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"If you don't hand her over willingly, I'll take her and move my base elsewhere. Even if she is mad at me for your death, she will learn to forgive me when she realized that it could've all been prevented." Zim relaxed slightly. "I'm giving you time to say goodbye, Dib. You knew this was going to happen. Be glad I'm being generous."

Dib glared.

Zita, surprisingly, was the one to respond.

"You love her."

Zim, too, obviously did not expect this. However, he replied, without hesitation, "Yes."

She nodded, like she understood. Dib gave her a look of disbelief but he would deal with her reaction later.

"I'll send you the rendezvous information," Zim said, looking at Dib again. "Get your closure, Dib. Gaz belongs with me and I will not rest easy until I know she's safe at my side."

The call ended, the TV going back to the previous channel.

Dib rounded on Zita, "How can you say that to him? He's taking my sister from me!"

"She loves him, Dib." Zita replied back, calmly, swallowing her fear and eying him warily but with pity. "Even if you won't accept it, you know that. I've seen that look in her eyes when she thinks about him. No matter what she says or does, she misses him, Dib. Are you really going to keep him from her just because you don't like him?"

"You couldn't understand!" Dib shouted. "This isn't_ your_ family you're losing! Zim isn't demanding that you hand over _your_ sister to keep your continent from blowing up and thousands of people from dying!"

There was silence. Zita stared at his furious face, mouth open with words she couldn't form.

"He's . . . what?"

Everyone spun around.

Gaz was looking at Dib with disbelief, her head shaking as she stepped backwards. "You're lying . . . He didn't say that."

"Gaz," Tip said, severely, giving her a look that left no room for questioning. "He's made his move. You make yours. In the end it's your choice."

"No, it's not!" Dib shrieked, beyond reason. He was seeing red. His mouth tasted like metal. "This needs to be discussed!"

Gaz glared at him, stunned by his attitude. "You'd die just to say that you never let me give myself up?"

"You don't love him!"

"You don't know what I want!"

"You don't either!"

"Even if I don't," Gaz hissed, baring her teeth at him. "I don't want you dying because you're stubborn."

"You're one to talk!"

"Screw you, Dib." Gaz hissed, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm not going to let you do this!"

She raced out of the room. She was followed.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Dib who pursued her.

Gaz slammed the door to her room. How _dare_ Dib try to control her like that! She was doing this for him! Mostly herself, she'd admit, but for him too! Gaz didn't _have_ to place trackers on him and her father, to keep them safe. She didn't _have_ to make Zim promise not to kill him. Didn't he realize how selfish he was being?

She froze. Or . . . was it _her_ being the selfish one?

A knock on the door snapped her out of her stupor.

"Go away, Dib!"

"It's Zita. And the twins."

Gaz's brow rose. Well this was something she hadn't expected. "Um, come in then, I guess."

The door opened slowly, the three of them entering.

"Gaz," Zita said, gently placing her hands on her arms. It was a bold move. Nobody touched Gaz without knowing they were in danger, but it seemed that Zia was willing to risk it. "Dib is just scared. By tomorrow he'll be willing to say his goodbyes, really."

"And until then," Tine added, her voice oddly serious, lacking the usual flair she had about herself. "We are willing to assist you in getting ready for your coming surrender to Zim."

"Surrender?" Gaz snorted, brushing Zita's arms off lightly as she sat down on the vanity chair. "It's more of a sacrifice then a surrender."

"So then sacrifice yourself," Tip replied, plainly. "And allow Zim what's left."*

Gaz's brow rose at his phrasing. "Does giving myself to Zim really mean I'm losing a part of myself?"

"You're losing Dib," Tine pointed out, moving onto her other side. For once she was being serious, not annoying. "Family will always be a part of you. It's a bond unlike any other bond. Not as strong as your relationship with Zim, but one that makes up a part of you nonetheless."

_Maybe she has hope yet, _Gaz thought, eying her.

"What do you mean 'get ready'?" Gaz asked, analyzing the sentence all over again. She looked between the three of them, eying them. "What do I need to get ready for?"

"You love him, Gaz." Zita said, smiling fondly at her, pulling up the vanity chair to sit in front of her. "He made it clear today that he misses you . . . in his own rather forward way."

"Don't you want to look appealing for him?" Now that sounded a bit more like Tine. But still, she wasn't annoying Gaz yet.

"He saw me yesterday."

"Yeah!" Tine insisted, offering her a small smile as she hugged her legs, looking at Gaz, amused. "All sweaty and gruff, looking for a fight with him. He probably hasn't seen you all dolled up in a while."

"Two years, actually." Gaz replied, remembering that one time she'd been forced to dress rather sensually for Dib's birthday, after he'd been shot.

Tine's brow rose. "Damn. Well, then, all the more reason to have a better reunion with you all dressed up in a . . . non . . . barbie-ish way."

Gaz snorted in amusement. "Nice choice of words."

"You know what I meant."

"It's not a bad idea," Tip insisted. The three girls gave him looks and he rolled his eyes. "Please. Gaz, you are not a female to me, you are a thing to be respected and feared, not taken lightly. As admiring as those _traits_ are, I am immune to appearances."

Gaz eyed his face. She nodded, "I believe him."

"My suggestion was simply an insight into the mind of the average man like Zim, assuming the psychology is the same. He would truly think you looked beautiful no matter how you looked. He'd find a new beauty in every way. However, if you truly dress yourself up, exploit your looks to their fullest extent, he will be both awed and appreciative you would do something like that for him."

"First things first, though," Zita said at once. "Clothes. You've got a wonderful figure, we just have to show it off."

"I'll call the seamstress," Tine said at once, getting up and moving to the corner, pulling out her phone. "She'll be up within the minute."

Gaz's brow rose. "Your seamstress is in your house?"

"In case of emergencies, which it's clearly paying off," Tine retorted with a smile, her attention diverting from them.

Gaz scowled at them, shaking her head. "This is kind of ridiculous."

"I'll get my make-up kit," Zita offered, standing and smiling at Gaz. "I know you aren't exactly a dressing-up kind of person, but, this'll get your mind off of this mess. And you'll be glad in the end."

Gaz just nodded, hugging her knees against her. She felt so strange. It was irritating she was letting this happen, but a part of her was glad it was. It was true she hadn't dress up for Zim in a while and after beating the crap out of him, he deserved some type of reward. Seeing her like he envisioned her would make his day.

"She's coming up," Tine insisted, snapping the phone shut. "We start this _now_."

* * *

**_The Next Day_**

* * *

Zim was so impatient it was physically painful. But he had to be content with the fact he _was_ getting Gaz back. Today. Within the hour, at a drop point that allowed Dib to physically hand her over. The second anyone tried anything though, they'd be ejected from the courtyard in front of his fortress.

"Gaz coming home today!" Gir shouted, reminding Zim all over again of what was on his mind.

Zim nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Gir, she comes back today."

Comes back. Because she had always belonged with him, and everyone knew it, including Dib and especially Gaz. Today, Zim had contacted Russia to inform them they were his next target and should they refuse to surrender, he would set off their nuclear devices against him.

"Is puppy-head moving in with us too?" Gir continued, rolling onto his back on top of Skoodge's head. The smaller alien was getting used to Gir's odd behavior, but he still gave him a weird look.

Zim's hand curled into a fist reflexively, but he soon after relaxed it. "No, the Dib-filth will not be joining us in our conquest."

"Aw," Gir said, but it was clear he was still in a good mood. It was hard not to be, since he'd see Mistress again soon. At the thought he giggled and threw up his arms towards the roof. "Yay!"

Zim rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" Gir suddenly shouted in complaint. "Stop shaking your head!"

Zim turned around, a brow rising until he saw Skoodge wasn't shaking his head, his whole body was trembling. A slow smirk began to appear on his face, growing into an amused, almost cruel grin. It was clear what he was afraid of, since they were only discussing one topic.

"Do you fear my _sahlm_, Invader Skoodge?" Zim asked, holding in laughter.

Skoodge shook his head, but his tremors gave him away. "N-No, sir!"

"Oh come now, Skoodge," Zim insisted teasingly, eyes narrowing to add to his vicious smirk. "Gaz doesn't bite! . . . At least, not in any way _you_ will ever know."

His laughter filled the room as Skoodge's antenna drooped with embarrassment. Zim was making a dirty joke about his _sahlm, _a common occurrence with Irkens who had them. But that didn't mean it didn't make other Irkens uncomfortable.

Similar to Earth culture, Irken Invaders (as the haughty, temperamental females of Irk rarely excepted less then military from their mates) often boasted about their triumphs when landing a _sahlm_. The showing off was well-deserved though, as females normally wanted nothing to do with men, and getting a _sahlm_ was a great display of not only power but manipulation. Their mates never got mad like human girls though, in fact, they felt it was insulting if they _weren't_ bragged about.

And that made Skoodge uncomfortable. How could one being be so devoted to another, especially when they weren't even from the same species?

Zim ceased chuckling. Immediately he read the question buried beneath Skoodge's fear and narrowed his eyes at him. However, taking a small breath to calm himself, he wore an indifferent expression.

"You cannot be blamed for you lack of understanding," Zim said, speaking to both Skoodge and himself. "You've never had a mate and certainly no one has ever had a unity like Gaz and I have created. An understanding of one another beyond satisfying an Irken curiosity. But understand that she and I are one of the same, and you _will_ give her as much respect as you give me, if not more. Are we clear?"

Skoodge nodded, eyes wide as he saluted. "Yes, sir!"

"Good." Zim turned back to clock. "And so now we wait."

* * *

Gaz had a cloak draped around her body and over her head as they walked past the public, Zita guiding her, since her eyes were blocked by the hood. It wasn't much of a disguise, but it covered her face and she was not recognized. A few people stole glances at the odd group leading the hooded figure but stranger things were happening now that they'd been overthrown by aliens. Zombie-guards (who did not moan and walk slower then a snail as stereotypes had led the population to believe) in red uniforms marched through the streets, attacking anyone causing trouble, no questions asked.

The streets had never been so civil.

But Gaz wasn't thinking about any of that. Not her outfit, not how she looked, and not even Zim, for once.

She was thinking only about how Dib had refused to say goodbye.

Sure, many people had gone to check on him, to badger him, and try to get him out of his room. But he hadn't answered to anyone, not even when Gaz had come knocking. However, when he ignored her, fury flooded through her body. Fine! If he wasn't going to say goodbye and lose his last chance at ever seeing her again, so be it. Screw him! His laptop had been left out anyways and it was sent in English. They had the rendezvous point and that was all she needed from him anyways.

But she wasn't thinking that now.

"_How could he not say goodbye . . . _?" Gaz breathed to herself, for the millionth time.

Zita, oddly enough, was being an enormously selfless person to Gaz. She was being friendly, as were the twins, walking directly behind her. Most of the Group was there, without disguises, since no one recognized anyone except Dib and Gaz. It seemed, though, that Gaz had gained companions.

It was weird.

At the question, Zita squeezed Gaz's elbow, since that was what she was leading her by. She didn't say anything though.

No words could comfort Gaz. At least, not any spoken by _her_.

There was a crowd around the ginormous bubble in the middle of city. Zim was playing this whole show until the end, making Gaz look like the selfless heroine until the very last scene.

And then suddenly they were surrounded by soldiers.

At first everyone began to grip weapons that they'd brought secretly, in case this was a trap (though Gaz knew it was not). However, they stopped as the soldiers bowed to them.

"We've been expecting you." One of them said in an odd voice.

Everyone was stunned. How had they recognized them?

"We shall be your escorts." Another said as they all made a formation around the procession.

And they were herded forward, Zita's grip tightening unconsciously on Gaz, who said nothing about it. Glancing around, Gaz was able to deduce everyone was scared in one way or another. They had even moved closer together, keeping to familiar faces, even if they all had only just started out two days ago. At least these strangers weren't zombie soldiers.

"Move aside!" One of the more intimidating of the soldiers in the procession shouted as they reached the crowd of onlookers around the bubble. "Make way for her Highness!"

_Her Highness?_, Gaz's brow rose, but she forced her head to stay down, resisting the urge to look up.

People gasped and murmured as they walked past, an impressive display; soldiers marching around them and frightening (and frightened) people on the inside, all centered around a scarlet-cloaked figure.

"This must be his _real_ mate." She heard someone say as they passed. "Poor Membrane girl."

"She didn't look like she wanted him anyways."

She nearly smirked. What a surprise those people would be getting when Zim removed her hood, as he would doubtlessly do.

They were able to move right through the bubble. Each soldier's uniform glowed upon impact with the force-field, and Gaz felt like elastic was pressing against her for the split second she had to touch the thing. People now gave full cries of surprise. Who were these people, who were able to get past the alien's great defenses?

Gaz was aware of Zita, in front of her, and the twins tightening all around her. No one else dared touch Dib's frightening sister who was acting as the sacrifice to the alien to save them. Even if they were grateful, that didn't mean they were particularly comfortable around her.

They were led into the walkway, faces pressed against the bubble all around them. The walkway was made of some type of stone and they stopped as the path came to a circle of stone, in the center of which was a great fountain.

And in front of that fountain was Zim.

There was a smaller alien beside him, and even Gir, who was surprisingly standing erect with red eyes. Maybe Zim had fixed him. Gaz would almost be sad if he did though, she was just so used to Gir's odd behavior, he would feel immensely strange to her if he was any other way. But still, despite these guests, all Gaz could focus on was him. Her whole upper face was shadowed by the hood, and so while he could not see her face, she could see his.

The soldiers dropped to one knee in exact unison, bowing their heads toward Zim.

"All hail Emperor Zim!" They shouted.

Emperor? Well, King really didn't have quite the same ring to it. Did that mean she was an Empress?

Huh. Weird.

Zim didn't say anything at their sign of loyalty, eyes boring into her, serious, stone-faced, unreadable. "You who lead her and you who surround her, bring her Highness forth to me!"

Zita and the twins shared stunned looks. Everyone in their way parted, letting the four of them pass. Zita swallowed nervously and Tine and Tip held hands, walking linked behind her. While Tine looked uncomfortable, Tip was a closed book, a slight scowl on his face, for whatever reason.

They stopped a few yards in front of Zim, as he had held a hand up.

Then a single of his fingers motioned forward, "Now let her come, alone."

Zita reluctantly released her. Gaz could feel the hesitance in her motion and Tip and Tine released her cloak's train. In truth, Gaz hadn't even realized that they had been holding it. Most likely it was an action done simply for the need to do something.

"Leave now," Zim ordered the three of them. Gaz heard them turn and leave as she took her own steps in the opposite direction.

She walked forward, head toward the ground until she saw Zim's shoes just inches from her own feet. Then she looked up.

Zim could see only shadow on her face, but her amber eyes pierced that darkness.

Gaz had expected him to remove the hood. However, his hands went straight for the tie that held her cloak on, around her neck. Glancing down at herself, she noticed that her body _was_ entirely covered by the heavy material. Zim pulled at the strings without a seconds hesitation, throwing it hastily off of her shoulders.

The material crumpled to the floor.

Everyone gasped.

Zim stared at her.

Gaz wore a dress that draped to the stone floor, a blood red that worked well with her skin tone. It was a dark corset connecting into the lighter skirt, shaping her figure to perfection. The sleeves hung off of her shoulders, long, reaching just past her fingertips.

She was beautiful.

And Zim couldn't stop staring at her.

Her eyes were watering.

Zim raised his hands slowly to her arms, as if afraid to touch her. But he gripped her eventually, holding her firmly but gently. He brought her forward, her body only inches from his.

"Where is the Dib?" He asked, quietly, seriously, eyes narrowing in confusion at her.

Gaz swallowed, forcing the water out of her own eyes. "Dib didn't come. He didn't want to say goodbye to me."

Zim stared at her again.

Then Gaz found herself pressed tightly against him, one hand on her back and the other in her hair, running his hands through it soothingly. He kissed the side of her head, murmuring words of comfort in her ear. Gaz buried her face into his shoulder, arms wrapping underneath his, hands resting on his shoulders. Gaz showed no sense of discomfort on the outside, but on the inside, she was pissed and felt betrayed.

How could Dib do this to her?

"He is a fool," Zim said, as if reading her mind, whispering into her ear comfortingly. "He will miss you more then you miss him. The Dib will regret this for the rest of his life and it shall burn and consume him until the day he dies."

Gaz noticed he wasn't adding insults to Dib's name. He knew full well she wasn't in the mood.

Her head pressed against his chest, Zim's hands dropping to her waist as he bent down a bit, to look up at her face with a small smile. Gaz turned her head away from him, refusing to let him read her. He stood straight again, taking her chin in his hand, the other locking on her waist.

"You are home."

* * *

*Shut up, I know!

**_FUCK_** DIB!

What kind of brother does that to his little sister?

Stupid, stubborn little . . .!

But a touching reunion between Zim and Gaz, no?

Now that they're together, six more chapters to go until . . . well, you know.

Three things need to happen before that happens though.

MAJOR things.

**Daily Life Quote:**

**"Excuse me?"  
"Um . . . Yes?"  
"Hi, this might sound like a REALLY weird question, but um, could you go flirt with that guy over there?"  
"Eh . . . _Why_?"  
"He's my boyfriend and I want to have some hot girl go up to him and flirt to see if he's faithful, but he knows all my friends so, whatdya say?"  
Dear Readers, I have made a discovery; Apparently, I am hot. -_-**

**So bad day today.**

**No, I did not flirt with a stranger. I told them I was about to vomit and then walked away with them staring after me like I was insane. I think I lost 'hotness points' for that so YAY! ^_^**

Till the next chapter!


	17. The Fire in Your Eyes

Commence comments!

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 16

I would have screamed, but I was in public.  
TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!  
I'm more exited about Tak than the smut. I can't explain it. I am.  
Actually, this story is so much better than the others, hands down, I really wouldn't care if you cut out anything explicit and gave it a T rating. I can't speak for everyone else, of course. But I wouldn't.  
And Gaz's procession reminded me of meeting the wizard of Oz, you know, from the movie, but Gaz is no Dorothy. Obviously why she's wearing a red dress and not a blue gingham dress.  
Also, Dib is only as much of a dick as you write him. You can't blame him because you want to make him seem like a jerk. I'm sorry. He probably really wanted to say good bye to his sister, you just wouldn't let him.

**Psh, I scream in public all the time. DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!**

**This is true (about Dib).**

**However I reserve the right to scold myself. :D**

**OMG, you have nooooooooo idea how much I debated before this on whether I was just going to do this the Twilight-Way and leave it trailing off and then starting up again where they come back naked and tired. But I promised myself I'd do it the right way, no matter how mortifying it is. -_-**

**He, I'm trying to image Gaz as Dorothy and I cannot do so without seeing Zim pacing around with his hands behind his back and muttering to himself about how the HELL this happened and solutions, Dib lying on his back and staring up at the sky boredly, and Gaz sitting down, holding one of the shoes in her hand and asking what the purpose of the glitter is on it, and arguing that a less-conspicuous shoe-style probably would've been better if there was a witch trying to hide them from everyone.**

**But thus is my imagination.**

**AND YOU CAN CHILLAX, TAK HAS ARRIVED!**

London Bai and Diane Hart

Chapter 16

HAHAHA! Skoodge is afraid of Gaz. Then again, who wouldn't because even Zim fears her on occasion ;)  
Tak will show up eventually, yes?  
And will the Professor (and the government) make another last attempt to contact Zim because I was thinking: Now that Gaz is back with Zim, her presence might convice the US to finally give in.  
I am so excited for the next chapter!

**(confused)  
*_***

**Didn't . . . Wait, they surrendered thought already!**

**Chapter 13, I think.**

**GO RE-READ!**

**:D**

xoAmaxi

Chapter 16

DIB, YOU-... YOU.. .  
BAD BROTHER. D:  
At least Gaz and Zim are finally together..  
ON WITH THE WEDDING-  
This can only mean one thing; THE STORY IS GOING TO GET EVEN MORE INTERESTING!  
Caaan't wait! o:

**Re-read my old stories, since I needed a refresher and I was just curious to see how my writing had changed. And you know what I realized?**

**Every time there was a lull point, I immediately had action right afterwards.**

**Rest assured, reader, I am far to impatient and spastic to ever have more then 1 chapter that's just a plot filler. XD**

**Thanks!**

Captor of the Crazies

Chapter 16

Just thought I'd say this, I'm getting a just teensy bit tired of people saying Gaz is OOC I mean I know she's a goth and everything but she's still a human with the ability to cry DARNIT! People complaining about OCness need to grow a pair and swallow their comments because we as fans put the FAN in fanfiction! And frankly I like Gaz less b*tchy! Now that that's out of the way! I can't wait for the smut!

**This is true, it's the writers and the readers personal interpretation.**

**Personally, I think that Gaz is just smart, not a goth really or emo or depressed or what is in most Gaz-involved stories. I think she's just like, "Okay, your stupid; Why should I have any contact with you whatsoever?" and genius is intimidating, as is her general cruel mannerisms.**

**3 HER ANYWAYS!**

**Thanks! ^_^**

KotaWingz

Chapter 16

I was feeling bad for Dib until he refused to say goodbye to Gaz. -_- Damn it Dib!  
Oh, I finally have another guess!  
4. When Gaz goes to meet the Tallest and they give her a challenge, she has to fight Tak!  
Eh, it's not a very good guess, but whatever.  
Another FANTASTIC chapter! MUST. READ. MORE!

**4. Not even close.**

**BUT YOU FIND OUT IN THIS CHAPTER! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

Gman2092

Chapter 16

lol who needs them hottness points anyway. PSSSH.  
And excellent chap BTW

**HELL YES! Who needs to look good these days? PSSSH!**

**And thanks!**

Reunited and it feels so good!

For those of you who don't remember the lyrics in the song I put before the last chapter:

**"So sacrifice yourself  
And let me have what's left  
I know that I can find  
The fire in your eyes!"**

And once again that is "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin.

I always took "I know that I can find/the fire in your eyes" as a way of saying that even if you're lost, they'll find you and bring you back to your life, that fire you used to have that faded for a while.

And so in honor of that I restore a life to its former glory and state of mind.

**IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY IM UPDATING EVERY OTHER DAY NOW: **My right hand is CRAMPING. I'm literally writing this with my left hand only. I am so thankful I'm way ahead on my writing, otherwise I'd get so freaking far behind it wouldn't even be funny because I wouldn't be able to write whole chapters with one hand. So I'm slowing my updates to give myself time to be able to heal and get back to being the max chapters ahead of you all so that if something like this happens again, it'll still be no problem.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 17  
"The Fire in Your Eyes"**

Zim picked her cloak up from the ground, draping it around her shoulders again as a a chill ran through the air and she shivered a little.

He kissed her nose, gently. "Stay warm."

Zim led Gaz back to the platform they'd teleported on, leading her with a hand on the small of her back. The second they left, the bubble would disappear and the technology that had projected it would dissolve, ceasing to exist.

It was a rather large step off the ground, so he got up first, lifting her by her waist easily. Gaz was surprised when he didn't release her afterwards, instead pulling her towards him, against his chest.

"By the way," he added, casually. "You look unfairly appealing to Zim at this moment."

Gaz's brow just rose.

Zim took her bare left hand, holding it to his face, "Yes. Especially without that glove of yours covering Zim's gift. Tell me, why did you hide it?"

She was slightly embarrassed but more surprised than that. "I . . . didn't think you'd notice."

"Of course I noticed!" He retorted, looking slightly insulted as he intertwined their hands, pressing her tighter against him. "This ring means a great deal to Zim about your heritage and culture. How could I _not_ notice?"

Gaz shrugged. "I hid it to make Dib more comfortable."

At the mention of her brother she looked down. Zim's gaze softened and he released her hand, brushing it across her face.

"I am truly sorry about that," he said, sympathetically. It was truly a wonder to the onlookers still surrounding them, all of them amazed by Gaz's beauty and the alien's true compassion for her. "Your brother does not deserve you."

Once again, this would make headliners. But neither of them cared anymore.

Gir then climbed up onto Gaz's back, beaming at her. "Hiya!"

Gaz almost smiled, glad he hadn't been changed in her absence. "Hello, Gir."

"He has missed you." Zim informed her as the platform charged up, getting ready to transport them. He glared at Gir, for whatever reason. "He continued to complain to me daily about your absence and ask me where you were."

"But I found you!" Gir proclaimed, cheerfully.

Gaz and Zim both rolled their eyes, sharing a look. It truly was pointless to pretend Gir would ever learn anything.

"Best get used to him now," Zim said, slight amusement in his eyes. "Close your eyes. This light will blind you if you look at it a second time."

She shut her eyes at once, having no desire to lose her sight. The heat from the light strengthened and people cried out, probably stunned at its brightness. Gaz began to snicker, eyes shutting tighter. But they almost snapped open as Zim's mouth pressed hungrily against hers, using the cover of the light to make his move on her. Keeping her eyes shut she kissed him back. He growled hungrily in response. Gaz was just able to hear it above the whine of the machine, only because she was so close to him. Also, she could feel the rumble of it against her chest as his pressed against hers in an attempt to get as close to her as he possibly could, at least for the moment.

Gaz felt his tongue trace her lips, demanding access as he slipped it into her mouth. Gaz's eyes nearly snapped open once again but she settled for digging her nails (manicured and painted a dark red, thanks to Zita's suggestion) into Zim's back. He hissed into her mouth, a strange sensation but not an unpleasant one.

The moment Gaz felt the heat start to retract, Zim was away from her, holding her against his chest but otherwise not touching her. A completely harmless show of affection but Gaz could feel how heavy he was breathing, probably using a great amount of effort to refrain from any further action. But she could tell by the way his gloved finger traced her spine that he was anticipating an opportunity later, one that would prove most satisfying to his needs.

Clearly, he had missed Gaz in more ways then one.

And she was surprised to find just how much she liked that.

Zim kept an arm around her waist as he turned to the smaller alien.

"Invader Skoodge," he said, gesturing to Gaz. "This is my _sahlm_, Gaz Membrane."

Automatically, Skoodge saluted. "A pleasure and an honor to meet you, ma'am!"

Gaz's brow rose. She could see the terror in his eyes, his fear of her that he was hiding.

She decided to go easy on him, since she'd be living with him for a while.

Two months and a week left.

But Gaz was pretty sure they'd only need another month, at the most.

"Back at you," Gaz replied, nodding at him.

She yawned, very unlike her. But then again, with this much on her mind, Zim decided that it was perfectly in character.

"You must be tired," Zim commented. "Shall we go?"

She nodded, smiling minutely at Skoodge, "It was nice meeting you."

He just stared at her, jerking his head in what she assumed was probably a nod in response.

Zim gave Skoodge of look of slight disapproval before turning back to Gaz, stroking her face with his free hand. "Come, I shall take you to your room."

_Her_ room? So then they wouldn't be sharing one. She smirked.

He was really going through with this whole 'abstinence till marriage' thing, even if he did have her.

"Gir, stay with Skoodge." Zim ordered.

Gir nodded. "Okay!"

Zim turned away from them and led Gaz down a hallway, never relinquishing his hold on her waist. Gaz didn't particularly mind, not at all really. In fact she liked being close to him again, absorbing the touch they had been so deprived of. Despite Zim's visits, they felt a bit starved. Small kisses were not enough, no matter how passionate they had been. Being with each other daily was what they needed and were used to.

Eventually he led her to a grand door, gesturing for her to open it herself.

Gaz touched the doorknob and saw it scan her hand, smirking. "You would."

"It was just a small modification," Zim replied, waving it off. "It does the same for me, but I am the only guest who can enter."

"You're not staying in here with me?" She asked, brow rising. She heard the door unlock but made no move to open it yet.

Zim scoffed at her, smiling in a teasing manner. "No. Zim has told you before, Irkens require no sleep."

"I didn't think you'd have sleep in mind," Gaz retorted, opening the door.

It was large. That was the first thing that she noticed. There were mirrored doors that led to a walk-in closet (though she'd brought none of her clothes) and a curtained glass door that led to a balcony probably half the size of the room. The bed was also enormous, the sheets red and seeming to be made of silk. She entered, hearing Zim follow behind silently, shutting the doors behind them. He was probably awaiting her evaluation of the room anxiously but he would have to wait until she finished her inspection. There was another double door, that was half-open, leading to a violet-themed bathroom. Gaz wondered if it had real water or not.

The floor was carpet, gray, surprisingly. She'd expected green or something. The walls were a darker color of burgundy. The curtains on the door were half-drawn but Gaz went over, opening them fully. The view, even without actually going onto the balcony, was incredible. She could see the entire city and beyond it.

"What do you think?" Zim asked, warily, his impatience getting the better of him.

Gaz turned around, drawing the curtains with an icy expression. He paled.

She smiled. "It's fine."

His eyes narrowed. "Not funny. Zim spent an incredible amount of time redoing this room for your liking."

"I appreciate it." Gaz replied, the cloak dropping from her body, revealing her shoulders and neck. Zim's eyes immediately trained on that spot of flesh of hers. She smirked, noticing the look in his red eyes. "I need to change. As comfortable as this thing is, I'm not sleeping in it."

"I've had the house- _fortress_ create some clothing for you." Zim said, catching himself. It was too easy to think of things as they had once been with Gaz around, sleeping in a room he'd made for her. Oh, the memories it brought back. "I had it look up the average nightwear for females. The clothes are in the closet for you."

Gaz walked over, opening the doors and walking inside.

Her eyes narrowed at the choices, some of them suitable and some of them not so appealing. Obviously the fortress had found 'Victoria's Secret' when it had searched for sleepwear.

Zim waited, looking out the glass doors to the view when he heard the closet open. With bored eyes (Gaz had taken a while with her selections and changing) he glanced over, away, and then immediately back again, eyes growing wide.

Gaz was in a red nightgown, one that ended at her thighs. The straps were no more then strings. There were less revealing things but Gaz didn't feel like being alone in this place for her first night there. She would if she absolutely had to but while Gaz was headstrong and independent, she was never fond of unfamiliar places (or people), even if the places belonged to someone she was well-acquainted with.

And if dressing a bit revealing would eventually make her more comfortable, so be it.

Zim continued to stare at her, more so then when she'd been delivered to him. Gaz stepped over to the curtains, not bothering to shut them. It was dusk and they were well above the city, out of view of the public eye, or anyone's eye, really.

"Close your mouth," Gaz ordered, smirking, hands on her hips.

Zim shut it promptly, unaware it had been open in the first place. Then he walked over, irritation in his eyes, replacing her hands on her hips with his own and holding her to him.

"You just couldn't let me work, could you?" He growled, glaring down at her.

Gaz smirked arrogantly. "Hardly. That would mean being compliant for once."

Zim rolled his eyes, leading her to the bed. "Zim is not going to sleep with you."

"In which way?" Gaz asked, a brow rising. The statement could be taken in two ways; one, he wasn't going to have sex with her (no objections there), or two, he wasn't going to stay with her while she slept.

"Let me correct myself; I'm not going to mate with you. Yet," he added, smirking at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't asking you to sleep with me in _that_ way. I just didn't want to be alone tonight."

"Someone's acting rather needy tonight," Zim teased as Gaz got in the bed, and he walked around to the other side. He draped the blankets over her form, finding it much easier to take her seriously when she was covered a bit more. "Did you truly miss Zim that much?"

"Oh, shut up," Gaz retorted.

Zim grinned. That was answer enough.

He reached over, pulling her against his chest. She curled herself against him automatically, fitting themselves into a natural position. Zim kept his arm around her waist, leaning down and kissing her head.

"Just so you know," Zim informed her, quietly. "Zim missed you as well."

Gaz held him just a little tighter, saying nothing as she drifted off into her first decent sleep in a month.

* * *

"Master Dib?"

He woke to the knocking. He'd cried himself to sleep, though he'd never admit it.

Dib had seen it on the news, Gaz handing herself over. He'd seen her nearly cry and hold Zim, looking like she belonged and knowing that not only had she done the right thing for Earth, but for herself as well.

It pained Dib to realize how stupid he had been only when it was far too late.

She probably hated him now. But even still, he couldn't bring himself to face her.

And now that odd maid was knocking on his door again.

"Just . . .! Just come in." The fire and frustration in his words died out as his head fell back onto the pillows. He wasn't sure if the doors were locked or not but if they were, he wasn't going to get up to open them. He didn't have the energy for it.

It seemed either she had a key, or the doors were in fact unlocked. He heard her enter, not facing the door.

His room was a mess. Between throwing things, abusing other objects and letting out his frustration on anything around him, Dib hadn't exactly been concerned about the upkeep of his room. He expected a gasp. Some type of noise of horror or disapproval.

But he only heard her shut the door behind her as her steps filled his room.

Surprised, Dib rolled over to look at her, finding her simply cleaning up impassively.

"You're not mad, cleaning that up?" He asked, stunned.

She paused, a look almost familiar to him coming to her eyes as she raised a brow to his statement. "You didn't do this on purpose to spite me, did you?"

"No!" He said at once. "Of course not!"

She half-smiled. "Then I find no reason to be irritated with you."

Dib watched her as she continued to clean. Finally, he asked the question he'd been dreading.

"Do I . . . know you?"

The girl paused, at once, looking up at him with eyes that demanded information. "I do not know. Do you?"

Dib got up and scrutinized her face, leaning towards her. It was bit too close for others likings but the maid simply continued to glare at him, as if trying to rip the information out of Dib's head for him, and Dib was just trying to examine her closely.

"I . . . Can you take off that bonnet?" He finally asked, flustered. "It's hard to try and remember a face when you don't have all of the pieces."

Immediately she reached up, untying the string at her neck gracefully before gingerly removing the hairnet.

Her hair was long, to her back. It glistened, too well-taken care of for someone who had been working for others their whole life. Her violet eyes suddenly seemed more intriguing, more knowledgeable. She was smart, calculating looking.

And her hair was blue.

"**_Tak_**?"

The alien girl's eyes widened as she stumbled back, crying out as her hands went to her face, to her eyes, screaming at the top of her lungs as she fell to her knees. Her back arched and her hands moved to her head, that piercing noise inhuman continuing to scream forth from her mouth.

"Tak!" Dib shouted, running towards her and gripping her arms. "Tak, calm down! Tak!"

Thousands of questions were running through his mind.

How had this happened?

Was she really human?

Why was she stuck like this if she was?

How the hell did she end up **_here?_**

People burst into the room, Gretchen first. "Dib? What's going-?"

"I-I don't know!" Dib shouted over Tak's screams, looking frightened. He turned back to Tak. "Tak, what's wrong? Tak!"

"Tak?" Zita's eyes widened at the familiar name. "You mean that girl from Middle-Skool that was there for like, a day and then disappeared?" Zita spun on Gretchen, shocked. "She's your _maid_?"

"I didn't realize!" Gretchen insisted defensively. However it brought back an unhappy flashback of her watching Dib when they were children, sitting with Tak on the fence at recess. Immediate discomfort filled her.

Tak didn't like him, did she?

"That's hardly our concern right now!" Dib shouted, as if in response to her thoughts. Gretchen jumped, realizing only after that he was referring to Tak's current state of being.

Zita was giving Tak a disturbed look before rounding on the owner of the house. "Gretchen, call a . . . I don't know, doctor, or something!"

"It won't help," Dib said darkly, anger filling him as he looked at Tak's writhing form as she finally stopped screaming, gritting her teeth and letting out a pained combination of hisses and moans. "She isn't human."

"What are you talking about, Dib?" Tine demanded, looking at him as if he was insane, eyes narrowed. "Of course she's human!"

"No," Dib said firmly, locking eyes with Tak, who was growling at him. "She's Irken."

Everyone gaped at the sweet-tempered maid who was now looking like she was ready to kill Dib, for whatever reason. Tip eyed her with interest, a brow rising. Clearly 'Tak' (as her name had finally been given back to her, not that he'd ever cared, so long as she did her job) was better at disguising herself then her male counterpart.

"I remember now, **_Dib_**. This," She spat, gesturing to her shaking body. "Is all **_YOUR FAULT_**!"

Dib leaped away just as she lunged at him and ran past everyone, out the door. A scream of complete fury rang through the halls after him. Frightened as she darted past them with inhuman speed, everyone shared looks of surprise before following out after them.

When they caught up finally, Tak and Dib were in front of the house, Tak continuing to lunge at Dib, who ducked or dodge every time.

"How is this MY fault?" Dib was shouting at her. "I didn't ask for you to be here! If anything this is probably _Zim's_ fault!"

"I'll deal with him later!" Tak shrieked, her accent easily perceived now instead of just having a touch of it. It seemed in losing her memories, she'd also forgotten how to talk like she normally did. Strange. "And your little sister, too! But first, YOU!"

"You won't touch Gaz!" Dib retorted. At some point in his running he must have placed his gloves on because he ran at her then, catching her off guard and punching her directly in the gut. Tak was knocked backwards, rolling onto her knees as she held her stomach.

Dib was well aware Irkens healed relatively quickly. However, when genuine tears began to form in her eyes, he relaxed from his stance, brow up.

"What . . .?" Take breathed, holding her hands to her eyes and screaming as what appeared to be water formed there. She then stopped, confusion building up in her eyes. "Why am I not burning?"

Another twitch and slight convulsion brought her hand to her head as the last of her memories returned.

Then she craned her head around, noticing she was still in her maid uniform. Growling she began clawing at the puffy sleeves, ripping that and the apron off so she was left in a black, rather shapeless dress, the legging having been torn off by her in the chase. And Dib couldn't help but stare slightly, like all the males behind him, save for Tip, whose brow simply rose.

Contrary to Dib's belief beforehand, Tak was _not_ shapeless. She wasn't over-curved, in fact, they (her curves) would be considered small on anyone else. But her waist was sharp, defined, and tiny, accentuated everything she had and made it look like more. All of her features were sharp, including her hair and angular face. Her eyes, that deep purple, sent fear into anyone she looked at, except Dib and the twins. In fact, Tine was growing surprisingly unaffected by this new twist in their dynamic. As far as she was concerned, it didn't change anything.

"Are we done now?" Tine asked, arms crossed. Today she looked as stunning as ever, re-attracting the attention of the males as she spoke.

Tak glared at the smaller human. "I'm going to rip your throat out, ignorant human!"

Tip rolled his eyes.

Clearly there was still something wrong with these kids and their opinions about death, Dib noted.

"Not if my theory is correct," Dib intervened, before anyone got killed, bringing Tak's attention back to him and off of the twins. "Tak, what happened to you? Why are you here on Earth? More importantly, why are you _human_?"

Tak breathed heavily a few minutes, hands curled into fists. Finally though, the last of her anger left, that usual controlled, monotonous and calculating expression he was used to returning to her face.

"Very well . . . _Dib_," She said his name like it was a bad word, her eye twitching when she said it. "I'll tell you why I'm here. And then, I'll kill you."

"Fine, whatever!" Dib said, crossing his arms. "Go ahead."

"I'm not talking out in the open, you idiot!" Tak snapped back. Her eyes darted around suspiciously. Dib snorted.

Once an Irken, always an Irken, no matter how human she seemed to be.

They ended up inside the conference room, Tak and Dib sitting on opposite ends of the table.

"Good enough?" He asked.

She nodded, reluctantly.

"Then explain."

Tak growled at him, "Watch your tone, human. I don't _have_ to be here explaining myself! It's just a courtesy."

"_Please_ go ahead," Dib hissed back.

Gretchen stared at him. She'd never seen Dib this angry before.

Tak still looked pissed, but she continued.

"It started when I returned back to the Empire, after I was defeated by you incompetent fools."

* * *

**_3 Years Ago*_**

* * *

Tak was brought before the Tallest, a guard on either side of her.

"Invader Tak," Tallest Red said, looking down at her with disapproval. "You are brought here on the charges of abandoning your janitorial duties on Planet Dirt and failing a mission to retrieve Planet Earth as a sacrifice to your Tallest-."

"And not only that!" Tallest Purple shouted. "But you lost to Zim and a couple of _humans. _AND you got yourself captured by _Valkians_, of all people, on a simple scouting mission!"

Tak flinched as the present Irken's around her, attending her trial for amusement and entertainment, let out gasps and cries of horror. Murmurs of scolding were all she could hear and humiliation filled her entire PAK.

Tallest Red nodded to his companions statement. "And we're adding on the charge of humiliating the Armada."

"How do you plead?" Tallest Purple demanded. However, just as she opened her mouth he shouted, "Guilty? Great!"

People cheered around them.

"What?" Tak shouted, alarm in her vision as she looked all around her at the cheering faces of her people, along with the smug ones of her Tallest. "But I didn't _say anything_!"

Her cries of protest were not heard over the noise.

Tallest Red lifted his arms, "Irkens, Irkens, please, that's enough." He looked back at Tak, eyes narrowing. "You, Tak, will be given a unique punishment for your failures."

Her eyes were filled with fear, mouth slightly parted in a silent cry of pain and terror.

Tallest Purple then pointed at her, grinning cynically. "You will be turned human!"

A collective gasp ran through the ground.

Tak froze, unable to move. "H-Human? But my Tallest-!"

"We don't take humiliation lightly, Tak." Tallest Red interrupted, disapproval written all over his face. "And you have made us seem weak to the humans because of your inability to defeat _Zim_, of all people, no matter what help he had."

"So since humans are apparently so superior to you," Tallest Purple continued. "We're going to turn you into one. You'll probably end up learning a lot from them."

The two laughed at their joke. Tak just continued to gape at them.

"Of course, it can't be an _entire_ transformation." Tallest Red said, after wiping a tear from his eye. "We can't very well go in and replace your squeedily-spooch with all those nasty humans organs Zim has reported to us that humans have."

The crowd all made faces of disgust. _Multiple_ organs? How disgusting!

"And we can't get rid of your PAK, either." Tallest Purple continued. "So we'll just place it into your back and download human information we collected from Zim about Earth."

"Skin grafts will be made, and you'll be re-sized, to make you look like an adult human."

"We hope you liked your human disguise, because that's what we'll be basing your appearance off of."

"Your body will be put into hibernation, as the transformation will take some time."

"Around two years or so Earth-time."

"You're memories will stay with you, if you're lucky."

"MiMi will remain in you care, since you programmed her to listen to only you, and she isn't worth the trouble or effort to reprogram. Besides, she can help you when we dump you on Earth."

"It's over, Tak." Tallest Red finally finished, giving her a look of disgust. "Guards! Take her to the holding chambers and prepare her for her change!"

"NO!" Tak screamed, finally finding her voice as she was grabbed by the arms and dragged off. She began flailing, struggling in the iron-clad grasps on her forearms. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS! NO! LET ME GO! NOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

"The transformation took three years, not two." Tak said, bitterly. "When I awoke, I did remember. I remembered everything. They placed me on Earth but where, I still have no idea. The only thing I had was MiMi. I started looking for you three, but I had no idea how to find you. Eventually though, the stress my new, weak human body faced from the change, I collapsed. You know the rest after that, this family taking me in, as a _slave_."

Gretchen shifted uncomfortably as Tak shot her and her cousins a death glare.

"So you looked so beat up because of the change, then?" Tip continued, brow rising, unaffected by the look. "Hm. Interesting."

"I don't understand how you lost your memories if you just passed out from exhaustion," Tine added, crossing her arms suspiciously. "Since that is all that your saying happened."

Tak's eyes narrowed at being caught in a lie. "My PAK malfunctioned, unfamiliar to this body. But when_ Dib_ reminded me of my name, the trigger sent my memories to come back. You humans have a truly intolerant body for pain. In my Irken form, the memory-recall would've been completely painless. But in this one-."

"It hurt like hell?" Dib finished for her, Tak's screams still ringing in his ears.

Tak growled at him for interrupting her, but nodded. "Yes."

"Who's MiMi?" Zita asked, confused.

Tak's eyes widened and she face-palmed. To think she had been under the impression her cat had run away upon arriving in this house, when really, MiMi had probably gone into hiding until Tak was able to obtain her memories on her own. MiMi knew she would be of no use, especially now that Tak wasn't entirely Irken anymore.

"MiMi!" Tak barked, standing up and looking around, hoping her SIR unit had remained within hearing range. "MiMi, return to your master!"

Everyone was quite for a minute.

Then a dark blue blur shot through the window, zipping around the room and startling everyone. Dib wondered briefly how Tak's little 'cat' was not a huge give away to her true heritage when she was a child. As spastic as animals were, no cat could travel that fast.

Finally the blur rested on Tak's shoulder, eying her with wide red eyes. There was a brief beeping noise, obviously the SIR unit's version of communication.

Tak smirked, understanding, petting her on the head. "Yes, everything is fine now, MiMi. My lapse in memory won't happen again."

It wasn't until people began shifting uncomfortably that Dib sighed, getting up.

"We'll just have to deal with this in the morning. Right now, it's probably a good idea for all of to rest." He ordered, running a hand over his hair.

Tak jumped at the opportunity to scold her body once again. "And that's another thing! How is it possible to be so tired all the time? You miss so much of the day by sleeping!"

Dib shot her a dark look before leaving the room.

Tak just got up, leaving to the room she normally slept it, trying to force the disgust away from her mind at sleeping in such a dull room.

* * *

*I guessed it's been about three years since she left Earth by now, since I guess Dib to be around 12 in the show and he's 19 now and then an additional few years for the LEECHY incident where they were about sixteen.

TOLD YOU NONE OF YOU WOULD GUESS HOW I BROUGHT TAK INTO THE STORY!

Total plot twist right there!

So technically, to clarify, Tak is human on the outside and in body, but on the inside she's got her PAK and squeedily-spooch intact. Change the outer appearance all you want, you can't entirely change the inside.

Actually, originally, the Tallest took MiMi from Tak. But those two are just too cute together, so I gave her back.

**NOW YOU CAN ALL STOP BITCHING ABOUT HOW I HAVEN'T BROUGHT TAK INTO THE STORY!**

**Daily Quote:  
"If I was a princess, what kind of princess do you think I'd be?"  
"The one seducing the villain, getting kidnapped when you finally became successful, and the one saving yourself in the end."  
"What about the hero?"  
"HEROES ARE FOR WIMPS."  
-My friends new catchphrase. Apparently I'm too devious to need a hero. XD**

**Well_ I_ like heroes! What about you guys?**

Till the next chapter!


	18. Marriage Arrangements

Comments time!

Mr. Mookenstein

Chapter 17

heheheh...Zim gave Skoodge the look of disapproval..XD i bet his face was all like ...ಠ_ಠ...by the way what do you have against sex specifically, ive noticed your add-in comments on it thru-out the story..did you have a bad experience or...

**LMAO, I'm a happy virgin. XD**

**The reason I dislike sex-talk is because personally, I think sex is gross, like messy and uncomfortable (NO, GUYS, I didn't place my own opinions in Gaz and Zim's sex-life).**

**A teenager who sex has no appeal to.**

**I'm a rarity.**

BeautyandpainXx

Chapter 17

As much as I know you want to hear 'I didn't expect Tak to be the maid!' I did. Sorry for spoiling your efforts of doing something unexpected. I'd have to say, you are one of my favorite IZ authors. I'm really excited on reading the rest of the series!

-BeautyandpainXx

**(sigh)**

**I figured SOMEBODY was going to figure it out.**

**But that's okay, I got enough comments of complete shock to fulfill my needs of mischief.**

**And oh good! ^_^**

London Bai and Diane Hart

Chapter 17

Wonderful work as usual and clever way to bring Tak back into the story.

What I meant in my previous review is that the Professor is in hiding. Usually once a government has given up, they wouldn't hide unless they're preparing to a secret ambush attack or something. (I only mention this because nearly everyone knows how stubborn the US gov. is.)

**Oh, gotcha!**

**BUT, I'm not telling! You'll have to see for yourself later into the story.**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 17

*F-U ZaGr, Imma see TAK!

I did not see that coming. I totally did not see that coming. So, really, she's been there for quite some time, huh? Like, five or six chapters? You could have included a view of Mimi out the window, or put some hints in, just to make it a little less of a slap in the face, but you might have and I just missed it.

Oh, who cares, she's here now! YAAAAAAAY!

**Yes, yes she has.**

**Come on now people; I couldn't have made it _that_ easy for you!**

**Glad I've pleased you!**

I think this next one is the funniest shit ever:

The First Gatekeeper

Chapter 17

Do an Artemis Fowl 3... Please ! :)

**XD**

**For those of you who are unaware, I wrote an Artemis Fowl Series of 2 stories, the second being a crossover with the Alex Rider books. The weird thing is I was reading through those yesterday.**

**Give me a plot, Gatekeeper, and I just might. :)**

**But not promises!**

**I think that's hilarious and ingenious you went, checked my most recently updated story, and posted on it for another story.**

**INGENIOUS!**

So, Zim still wants to marry Gaz.

And with Tak around now, with the rebellion, if she stays, is it still going to be so easy?

**SUPER IMPORTANT!: **Please got to my page to check out my new pole (not the "Iggins" one). I'd like all of your feedback, since you are all ZAGR fans and fond of my writing style. I've got a few ideas yet.

* * *

**Chapter 18  
"Marriage Arrangements"**

Gaz woke up, surprised to find she was alone in the bed.

She sighed. She'd half-expected it. Zim really was busy, and with all the time-differences of the continents he was conquering, he'd probably have to be up at all random hours of the day.

Gaz got up, heading towards the bathroom to take a quick shower. After that, she headed into the closet. She was surprised to find the entire thing had been replaced by clothes to wear in public, most of them dresses and all of them dark colors. Various arrays of reds, purple, dark blues, blacks, dark greens and surprisingly a few white garments filled the spaces, each of them organized by type and color. Undergarments were over in the corner.

Eventually she picked up black pants and a intricate violet top, snatching them (along with undergarments) off the hanger and exiting the closet.

She noticed the curtains were closed as she dropped the towel, putting the underwear on and then pulling the black pants over her pale legs. The shirt was a corset-like thing however, designed support her breasts without a bra, and so she untied it enough to be able to pull it on, holding it before her for slight examination.

The door opened.

Gaz turned her head around, eyes wide with surprise.

Zim had his back to her, quietly re-entering the room, as if he suspected she would still be asleep. It made Gaz wonder just how early it really was. He shut the door behind him and turned around, looking up from the floor and jumping at the sight. Gaz remained frozen, caught entirely off guard.

Zim stared, eyes slowly trailing up Gaz's completely exposed (he swallowed painfully upon realizing she had no bra on) back and eventually made his way to her face. They locked gazes a moment, staring at one another.

And then, with inhuman speed, Zim had reached out, turned the handle to the door, and was out it before another second could pass.

Gaz blinked at the sudden absence, quickly turning away from the door. She shook her head, effectively shaking off the feeling of her surprise and pulling the shirt over her head before anything else could happen. Gaz tightened the strings quickly, using the mirror to ensure she got all of them. When she was finished, sleeves hanging off her shoulders, she scowled, wondering where Zim had run off to. She smirked, amused, remembering that look of horror upon his face.

Most other girls would've been insulted in her position. But Gaz was not as insecure as most girls, and thought it was funny. Zim was probably off in a corner somewhere, trying to push the image of her topless (even if it was just her back) as far from his head as possible, consistently reminding himself that they were not married and he was going to stick to his original plan, no matter what.

Once dressed she headed towards the door, opening it and shutting it behind her, wondering how easy it would be to get lost in this place. However, she did not think about it long, for as soon as she rounded the corner she immediately saw Zim in the large hallway outside '_her_' room, whistling to himself, shifting up and down on his feet, hands folded behind his back, staring out the window that stretched all across the hallway, more like a glass wall then a window.

At the sound of the door opening he turned his head, stopping all together and smiling at her.

"Good morning, Gaz." He said pleasantly. "You're up early."

But she could read right through his forced casualty. She could read the look in his eyes almost too easily. Zim was forcing control over himself, clearly trying to forget about what had just happened.

Gaz nodded at him, smirking. "Well, all the interesting things happen in the morning."

Zim flushed, glaring at her and turning back towards the window. "Not funny."

"Stop overreacting, Zim." She insisted, with an eye roll. "It's not like you're not going to see it again eventually."

Zim tensed. Gaz nearly snickered.

"On that note," He continued, changing the subject. "We're going out today."

"Out?" Her brow rose. "To where?"

"To retrieve a few people, of course." Zim replied, giving her a look of amusement. "Or did you think I wasn't going to be giving you a _real_ wedding?"

Gaz's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You're talking about having a ceremony?"

"And you need a few things to do that." He insisted. "As I rule the country and have already obtained marriage licenses, that part is taken care of. However, a few things are still required that I need outside help to accomplish."

"Such as?" She pressed, irritated at his vague answers.

Zim grinned down at her, mischievously. "I'm going to kidnapping a few people today. One of them being a designer."

Her jaw dropped and then eyes narrowed. "You're not talking about-?"

"Yes, I am. I'm having your wedding dress designed today."

* * *

Tak woke up, only to want to die immediately after.

Her head was killing her. She'd always had a tolerance for pain, every Irken did, but this was just ridiculous!

MiMi was at the window, standing post. She'd never had to do it before, but now that Tak slept, she'd placed it upon herself to look after her master.

Tak sat up, a brow rising upon seeing what was at the end of her bed. A pile of clothes were folded, a pair of dark jeans and a striped shirt.

"MiMi, report," Tak ordered, calling the SIR units attention to her at once. "Who was in the room?"

"_Just a maid, my lady_." MiMi replied, in her form of beeping. "_I made sure they touched nothing or did nothing other than dropping off fresh supplies._"

She recognized it as similar to the clothes that Dib had first seen in her in, when she'd come to Earth looking like a child. Rolling her eyes and stripping, tossing the rather tattered black dress off of her, Tak roughly shoved the clothes over her body.

However, she hissed at a sting on her back, her legs wavering a moment. MiMi at once became alert, zipping over to steady her master.

There was a knock on her door, interrupting her pained noise. "Tak? Are you okay?"

MiMi removed the bra (as it was pressing harder against whatever was on Tak's back), pulling on the shirt but only zipping it up a little. Tak went to the mirror, her hands in the long sleeves, holding the front of the shirt to her and letting the shoulders fall off, to take in the full expanse of her back. Her eyes widened at the sight, completely ignoring the person at the door.

It opened on its own accord.

Dib froze.

Tak's back had long, black scars that made an X on her back, from her shoulders to her ribs. They looked painful but clean, like a medical expert had done them. It didn't take long for Dib to figure out why she had them.

"Your PAK," He stated.

MiMi jumped to her feet, having sat obediently on the bed, eyes narrowing to threatening slits. He half-expected her to hiss at him. But Dib ignored her, eyes fully on Tak's scars.

She glared at him. Other girls would've been embarrassed, and maybe she would've been at least irritated (beyond her normal level of irritation) if this had been her normal body. But it wasn't. It was a disgusting human one, one she didn't care about. She was aware of the boundaries humans had, since the Tallest had downloaded it onto her PAK for a more realistic change, which was why she continued to cover her chest as she looked at Dib. But that was about as much as she was willing to respect about this body.

"Yes,_ Dib_?" Tak growled, locking eyes with him. She raised a brow at his look of slight horror. "What? You didn't think the Tallest would make it _painless_ for me, did you?"

Dib snapped out of it. "I just . . . didn't think they'd make it that gruesome."

Tak snorted. "Your people are weak when it comes to scars. On my planet, it's prideful to dawn a scar like this one."

"It looks painful."

"It's **_not_**!" She hissed, turning away from him. She knew he knew she was lying and it was annoying. "Now get out. I'm going to finish dressing and you annoy me. MiMi, escort him out."

Dib left (with a bit of help from MiMi, who got him out the door in the blink of an eye, shutting the door behind him) then, disturbed. He sighed, heading down the hallway. Another person would've felt pleased to see a girl as pretty as Tak's new body was before she finished dressing but having slept on it, Dib found himself far too disgusted with her to feel like that towards her. Sure he saw the potential ally in her but any attempt at friendship went down the drain simply because of their past history. Tak had been his friend. And she had used him as a cover so she could remain inconspicuous. Dib had never forgiven her for that (not to mention for being an alien) and he wasn't about to start now, especially with the given situation.

"Dib, there you are!" Gretchen said as he entered the dining room, beaming at him. She gestured to the seat next to her. "I saved a seat for you!"

Dib, in no mood, just forced a smile for her. "Thanks, Gretchen."

"Sure," She replied, giggling shyly. "Hehe, no problem!"

The twins sat across the table from the two and upon his arrival, Tip opened his mouth to begin conversation, since neither of the three kin had spoken a word to each other since breakfast had started. It wasn't that they didn't like one another, they just never had anything to talk about.

"How is Tak?" He asked. "I saw you heading towards her room this morning. Has she recovered?"

An image of her jagged scars filled Dib's head again, nearly making him flinch. In reply he nodded, picking at his food but making no move to eat it. "She's just as bitter as I remember her, so I'm assuming that means she's fine."

Tip and Tine shared a glance, but said nothing, turning their attention back to their food.

"_Get your hands off of me! I know where I'm going!_"

Dib rolled his eyes at Tak's distant shout, probably coming from the staircase. Gretchen noticed and her eyes widened just a bit in hope. So, did that mean that Dib _didn't_ like Tak then? She was beginning to smile a little when she met eyes with Tine, who gave her a look and turned away, rolling her eyes. For a moment Gretchen felt embarrassed irritation until Tak entered the room, MiMi on her heels. As if Tak not being human wasn't enough, now she had a satanic-looking cat following her around.

Everyone sat up just a bit straighter as she eyed all of them.

Dib glared at her. "You don't have to sit down, _Tak_. No one's about to make you."

Her eyes snapped up to his, "As if you could, _Dib_."

He just scoffed and turned away. Tak looked around and noticed something rather irritating. There was only one seat open, and that was next to the twins, who were sitting directly across from Dib. She had a mental debate on simply skipping breakfast but the slight fatigue she felt ruled that plan out. The option of eating with the servants had gone from her mind completely, as she refused to be with her former workers one more second then she'd had too. As an oblivious human she was fine with it, but as a former member of the Irken Empire, it was out of the question.

So begrudgingly, she made her way to the chair, sitting down without a word. MiMi sat curled around her shoulder, cautiously. Gretchen eyed Tak's movements warily for two reasons; firstly, Tak was a frightening girl who didn't seem to like her at all and secondly, she moved far more gracefully then someone should be allowed to move. If Dib noticed how smooth her motions were, would he like her then?

Everyone at Dib's end of the table (the twins, Gretchen and Tak) remained silent while everyone else mingled and talked among themselves. Tak glared at her plate, as if it had done her injustice, but she was eating (again, Gretchen noted with growing unease, too gracefully). Tip and Tine shared looks that said, 'Are you kidding me?' before looking to start a conversation.

"Sleep well, Tak?" Tine asked politely.

Tak glanced up, eyes sharp with distrust. MiMi tensed a bit at her master's uneasiness, coiling, ready to spring. Suspiciously, Tak replied, ". . . Yes."

Tine gestured to her clothes. "I hope those fit well. Dib told me what you used to wear, and I guess your sizes and picked what I thought that you would be most comfortable with."

Dib nearly choked on his food at the mention of his name while she was speaking to Tak. He coughed a moment, the twins and Tak diverting their eyes to his figure. MiMi eyed him with disinterest, understanding that he was in a weakened state, choking. Gretchen reached up a hand, eyes wide with concern.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, resting that hand on his shoulder.

Dib pounded his chest with his fists before nodding, taking a drink of water from the cup in front of him. "Yeah, fine."

Tak's eyes narrowed at Gretchen's hand, immediately understanding from her PAK that it was supposed to be a gesture of concern. Even Tak, the heartless alien girl, could see just how much this primitive female liked Dib.

It disgusted her.

"So, like I was saying," Tine continued, turning back to Tak. "Do they fit will?"

Tak nodded, "Yes, they fit fine."

Dib got another flashback of seeing her, the shirt down in the back, and the scars. This time he did flinch and Tak's eyes were immediately upon his figure, narrowing suspiciously. MiMi, once again, noticed, but for some reason she still did not react.

"What?" She demanded of him.

Dib looked up, surprised. Then he glared back. "I didn't say anything!"

"You flinched," She accused at once. "Why?"

He just shrugged, looking away. "It's November. It's kind of cold in here. I shivered, not flinched."

Tak, knowing he was lying but not caring enough to pursue his reason for lying, turned her attention back to her food.

"I'll order some undergarments made for you, then, since I've guessed your sizes correctly." Tine continued. "As I doubt you'll want to wear the maid clothing anymore, I'll have other clothes ordered as well."

She eyed Tine, knowing she should thank her, but having no desire to. So instead she just said, "Very well." Before turning back to her food.

Tine smirked just a little bit at her lack of manners, amused by it. Tip was eying Dib, noticing his slight scowl at the mention of underwear. It wasn't much of a reaction, his mouth running down ever so slightly. But it was enough.

Something had happened that morning. More then what Dib was telling them.

And neither of them were going to say anything about it.

Seeing they had no chance at getting whatever it was out of them, they let the conversation drop as everyone finished eating.

When she was done, Tak stood up, heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Dib asked.

Tak stopped, turning around to glare at him, MiMi on her heels again. "Outside. I'm going to see if my body has retained its strength, at least, since everything else about it seems to be completely useless."

At the mention of a display of strength, people quickly finished eating.

Dib stood up. "Then I'm going with you."

She gave him an antagonizing smirk. "Are you volunteering to be my punching bag?"

He snorted, "Hardly. It's just an opportunity to see what we're up against, with Zim and all."

Tak growled at the mention of Zim's name. Even MiMi's eyes narrowed. Tak made no objections, turning. This would also determine what she would do after this. If Tak was strong enough, she was just going to abandon these humans and go after Zim herself. But if she wasn't, then she'd stay with Dib and his stupid little group and see what she could do to help.

She pushed open the double-doors herself, the butler stumbling away, since that was normally his job. The slammed ope and she examined her hands, long fingers, five of them, with nails as long as her old ones. They were a violet color. Funny. She never remembered painting them.

Must be a modification, Tak thought to herself, wiggling her fingers as she continued onward. Tak ran through her head all of her techniques and training done at the Irken Academy, thankful to find she had no slip in that information. She had skill then, it would all just be about if she had the strength to use any of it.

Tak approached a tree, standing before it. She steadied her aim, hand curling into a fist, flexed her muscles, and punched the tree.

Immediately afterwards the tree swayed dangerously. Shortly following that, Tak recoiled her hand, screaming at the top of her lungs again. MiMi's eyes were huge, rushing to her master's side (having waited a few feet back), onto her shoulder, scanning the injury.

Dib's brow rose. So she had the strength, it was just limited by the pain she could take.

How very annoying.

He walked down, taking her wrist and examining her hand. Tears were in Tak's eyes, angry ones filled with frustration and pain, but she didn't have the energy to jerk away from his grip. Dib discovered two things then; that Tak could cry, and MiMi could, in fact, hiss at someone. In fact, MiMi looked like she wanted to rake her claws down his face for handling Tak. So apparently she didn't care if he was rude, just if he violated this new, weaker body.

"It's not broken," Dib informed Tak, releasing her. He eyed MiMi, who relaxed slightly, but still looked ready to pounce him. Her tail flicked behind her back in a threatening manner, red eyes narrowed to slits, hinds legs poised, but she would not move, because Tak hadn't given the order. "But it's pretty tender."

"I figured that out myself, _thanks_!" She spat, holding her hand gingerly and letting out a stream of what Dib assumed were curses. As he didn't recognize the language he assumed it was Irken. MiMi's eyes widened at her master's use of language, but she said (or beeped) nothing. "Geez, how weak _is_ this thing!"

Dib assumed the 'thing' in question was her body. He sighed. "Your body is too fragile and petite to handle anything like what you normally do. All your reflexes are intact, you just need to toughen it up."

Her brow rose suspiciously. "And how does one go about doing that?"

"Work out," He replied, eyes flickering to her hand. "But you're going to have to let that heal before you exercise."

Tak groaned. "That takes _forever_!"

Dib was surprised she knew that, but did not show it, and nodded. "Well a broken hand takes longer to heal then a fractured one. Keep trying to use that one and you'll strain it and break it."

Tak let out an aggravated scream, making everyone but Dib, MiMi and the twins flinch.

"FINE, Dib!" She snapped, once she was done, breathing heavily as she caught her breath again. "I'll do it your _stupid_ way!"

Dib's brow rose as she blew on her hand. It was probably hot with pain, and her logic told her to try and cool it off. Actually, she wasn't that far off, as she could use ice, but still, that was pretty weird. He had to keep reminding himself that no matter how human she looked, she was still an alien trapped in a human's body.

"Uh, right," he said. "Come back into the house, we'll get some ice for you to keep on your hand."

Tak's brow rose. "What help is frozen water?" Then she shivered. "And what if it still burns me?"

MiMi growled at the mention of burning. With her good hand, Tak reached up and stroked her head, never taking her eyes off of Dib.

Dib froze, looking at her, thinking a minute. "Well, we won't know until we try, I guess."

She hissed at him, but followed, cradling her wrist and not daring to touch her hand. The crowd parted to let them pass before everyone followed after. After a moment only two people were left outside, staring up at the sky.

The twins shared a knowing smirk.

"Well," Tine said, turning. "This is certainly going to be fun."

"I _told_ you it was worth our time coming here."

"My apologies for not believing you, brother," Tine apologized, looking back up at the sky and smirking at it. "Let's play, shall we?"

"Of course, sister."

* * *

Entering the church, Gaz was honestly surprised to find it empty. She'd expected many people to be there, hence the need for the hood Zim wore and his contacts. But besides them, not a soul could be found inside.

She snorted, removing her own hood and looking around. "I would've thought there'd be someone here."

Zim scowled, removing his contacts. "This is ridiculous."

Gaz shoved her hands in her pockets, looking around boredly. After a minute or so she shouted, "Hello? Is anyone in here?" There was a crash in the back room, but no other answer. "Probably homeless people," Gaz informed Zim, sighing. "Mm, well, that's too bad, Zim. Now you won't be able to _marry_ me like you wanted."

Zim scowled at her smirk, knowing the implications. "I will take your- what is it these church-dwellers call it?- your 'innocence' eventually, Gaz. Though, that is the _only_ thing innocent about you."

Gaz's brow rose with a smirk at his choice of words. "You're going to steal my innocence?"

"No." Zim's hands went to her rib-cage, dragging his nails down to her hips, which he promptly grabbed, forcing them against his own as he chuckled darkly in her ear. "Zim is going to _pound_ your innocence out of you."

Her face immediately flushed red, not expecting that phrasing. Zim seemed only too pleased at the blush on her face, grasping her hips tighter and rubbing his thumb along them. She looked away, well aware he shouldn't be doing this in a church, but he either did not know or did not care. It could very well be both.

Another thing falling over brought Gaz and Zim's head whipping around. A priest in white, stumbling over himself in his haste at seeing someone with faith return to the church, came out from the back. However, he was so busy trying to keep his robes from getting in his way that he got pretty close to them without seeing them, hands on his knees as he panted tiredly.

"My apologies for not answering, I was-." He looked up and locked normal eyes with red ones that seemed to be glaring at him from under the hood. In truth, this was not on purpose, as Zim was giving the strange human a glare of confusion, but to the priest, it was terrifying. "Gah!" He shouted, holding up his cross necklace with a shaking hand. "B-Be gone, Devil! You are not welcome here!"

"What is this fool speaking of?" Zim demanded, turning to Gaz.

To the priest, he saw a beautiful, innocent young lady in the arms of a monster. It reminded him of those movies he'd seen, where the heroin was coveted by the villain out of pure lust. In his mind, there was likely a young, innocent man somewhere hounding for his true love in the form of this girl.

Thus is what television and movies do to the logical part of the brain.

"Are you okay, dear?"

"Dear?" Gaz demanded, scowling. "I'm not a 'dear'!"

"You certainly are not," Zim assured her, wrapping an arm around her and pressing her to his side, kissing her tenderly on the nose. Then he turned to the priest, eying the man severely. "I am in need of your services."

"D-Do you wish to make a confession?" The priest replied, eying Zim with disapproval and slight disgust. It was not his place to judge but still, what exactly _was_ this thing?

Zim laughed. "Not at all! I wish to be married to this delightful creature beside me, and _you_ are going to do that."

The priest's brow rose. "I am a minister as well. But why should I marry an ungodly creature like you to a mortal, innocent young woman like her?"

Zim and Gaz shared a look before bursting out laughing.

"He . . . called . . . you . . . **_innocent_**!" Zim howled between chuckles.

When they began to die down Gaz nuzzled her head into his neck, kissing it lightly as she wrapped her arms around him and glared at the priest. "And he called you an ungodly creature."

"Yes," Zim said seriously, placing one hand on her waist and the other on her head, running his fingers through her hair. "I heard that as well. We'll just have to make him aware of who he's dealing with, now won't we, my dear?" Gaz growled at the pet-name she'd just expressed her disliking to. He gently removed her from his hold, removing the sweatshirt hiding his PAK, uniform and face.

The priest stared in horror, stumbling away and promptly falling over.

Damned these robes!

"I-Invader Zim!" He stuttered out, leaning away.

"In the flesh!" Zim barked back, sneering at him as he extended a tentacle, picking up the man and lifting himself with his appendages. "Now, I'm not asking you for your compliance. I'm demanding it!"

And then the man was tossed in a bubble that consumed him, shrunk, and then dropped into Zim's hand, looking like nothing more then a pink marble. Zim lowered himself back to the ground and Gaz approached him, looking at the object curiously.

"Neat," she commented sarcastically. "Can we go now?"

Zim chuckled, dropping the marble into his PAK and draping the sweatshirt back over his form with an appendage. "Yes, my little Gaz," he replied, taking her in his arms after he replaced his contacts (that were also replaced with his mechanical help). "We can go now."

"Good," she flicked his forehead and he flinched away from her. "And stop calling me 'little'."

* * *

MY SPELL CHECK ISN'T WORKING! GAH!

So if words are blatantly spelled wrong, that is why.

The twins are up to something! Mmm!

And the Tak (ft. MiMi) and Dib hatred dynamic . . . who else is loving that?

Stupid Gretchen. Nobody likes her.

Yes, I only wrote one of the kidnappings. Of course Zim wouldn't leave Gaz behind, he can't really stand to be away from her right now. Kind of adorable if it wasn't so creepy. But, I think that pretty much applies to everything about Invader Zim.

So hope you liked the irony that Dib sort of saw Tak shirtless and Zim DEFINITELY saw Gaz shirtless.

I like doing parallel-plots like that.

If you don't know what that is, look it up.

**Daily Quote:**

**"What the fuck is '_ringworm_'?"  
"Um . . . wearing worms as rings?"  
(head slap) "You guys."  
"Yeah?"  
"Why do I talk to you?"  
-The intellect of my closest friends.**

**Clearly, I need new friends.**

TILL THE NEXT CHAPTER!


	19. Terms of Agreement

Comments. My bad, I forgot to update.

KotaWingz

Chapter 18

Oh, Zim, you pervert you! ^^  
LMAO, so I'm not the only girl who is kinda disturbed by sex. I too find it kinda gross.  
I AM NOT ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE!

**FUCK YES, WE ARE COOL KIDS!**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 18

... But we're not getting any DaTr are we? Ah well.  
Unless of course, Tip and Tine are planning on playing cupid... Which would be fecking creepy, btw.  
Aaaaaaanyway, It's good to see Zim kidnapping people so Gaz can have a nice wedding, and it makes me wonder, will he abduct Professor Membrane for the traditional giving away of the bride, or would he consider that too dangerous? I'm assuming Skoodge would be the best man. Is Zim going to abduct and drug potential bridesmaids?  
Is this going, like, royal wedding route or close family affair?  
I would assume he would make a big spectacle out of it, because presentation is half of battle. Like they would have it in the Sistine Chapel, and why didn't he just go big or go home and force the Pope himself to marry them? In the Sistine Chapel. While Dib is bound and gaged in a small, dark room and forced to watch on a large HD television. And the camera man zooms in on the kiss, which Zim draws out as long as possible, just to torture Dib.  
And then they would have their wedding night in the Taj Mahal.  
Don't look at me like that's not epic!

**Tip and Tine are fucking weird in general, but no, no cupid. Just antagonizing their cousin for kicks.**

**I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THOSE PLACES. Is that sad?**

**So no, nothing there. XD**

**But I won't give away any more of the wedding! details!**

xoAmaxi

Chapter 18

"Stupid Gretchen. Nobody likes her."  
That made me laugh so much. :)  
I'M SO EXCITED FOR ZIM AND GAZ'S WEDDING. That priest guy was amusing, very amusing. Haha. And I'm curious to know what the twins are up to..  
Thanks for the quick update, now, FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. :DDDD

**Okay, I got a lot of comments for that remark. People both agreeing and being amused by it.**

**Do you all really hate her that much?**

**GOOD! BECAUSE I DO TOO! :D**

Mr. Mookenstein

Chapter 18

i had little to no want for sex as a virgin, my girl felt the same...and then we had it...it's kind of like eating glazed donuts, you know that there will be a big mess made in the proses but the payoff is soo.. worth it..that was my girls metaphor by the way..XD

**O.O**

**Oh dear god. XD**

**Thanks for the, eh, let's just call that advice, but I'm one of those Catholic kids. Gotta wait till I'm married, ya know? :)**

**I push my beliefs into Zim! LOL.**

Khositas

Chapter 18

BWAHAHAHAHAHA hehe :D pound your innocence out of you...kinda disturbing...no very disturbing, but hilarious nether the less. Stealing people for a wedding eh? Well, it isn't really traditional, but definitely something Zim would do and in all truth, I approve greatly. In fact, when I get married (if i ever do)I will kidnap as many people as possible, including my husband.  
Plus now that we got sparks (even if its sparks of rage rather than love)between Dib and Tak...and then Tine and Tip...°o°...XD YES I APPROVE!...wait it IS gunna be DaTr..RIGHT ಠ_ಠ  
Oh btw three things..  
i 3 Artemis Fowl and your writing so PLEASE USE YOUR ALMIGHTY POWER TO MAKE SUCH A STORY °3°!  
Secondly, I can't vote...to many good story plots to choice from...how about all :D  
And lastly...  
NO ONE...AND I MEAN NO ONE LIKES GRETCHEN...sorry Gr-wait a minute, as much as this sounds cruel, I am not sorry. YOU DARE INTERFERE WITH DATR :/ ?  
Okay im done ranting on and on for the day ;)

**Everything about IZ is disturbing.**

**Except that beat-suit thing. That was just adorable.**

**1) Again, no plot whatsoever. Any ideas? XD**

**2) NO! VOTE!**

**3) . . . (goes to corner) ROFL!**

Some of you might be wondering why Zim seems so keen on getting this marriage thing over with and . . . _you know,_ with Gaz.

Besides the obvious, perverted reason.

Zim isn't telling Gaz something. Oooh, what could it be?

Tak will tell you in this chapter, so hang tight!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 19  
"Terms of Agreement"**

Tak's foot tapped impatiently against the floor as Dib handed her a bag of ice.

She gingerly took it in her good hand, sighing in relief when the condensation didn't burn her. She placed it on her pained one, holding it securely and making herself ignore the pain.

"MiMi," she ordered, "Hold the ice pack."

MiMi did as she was told, sitting on Tak's lap, focusing on the task at hand. However her ears flicked out behind her, making it clear that just because she was doing something didn't mean she wasn't listening to what everyone else was doing.

"I suppose you have questions," Tak finally said. "And I have the answers. Since I'm going to be here a while I might as well tell you them so I can do everything in my power to take down Zim's empire."

"It's spread to Tokyo, by the way," Tip informed Dib, entering the room last with his sister. "I saw it on the news this morning."

For a moment Dib wondered where they had been but decided it didn't matter. This was _their_ house, after all. They could do pretty much whatever they wanted and it was still none of his business.

"Dib," Gretchen said slowly, looking down at the floor. "There was something else on the news this morning . . . I don't know if you know, but . . ."

Dib became angry. "_What_, Gretchen?"

Tak growled in disgust when she flinched. Was this girl afraid of _everyone_?

She looked up at him. "Zim announced his marriage to Gaz was in a few days this morning."

Dib paled. "_No . . _.!"

Tak's eyes widened, snapping open. "Dib, is your sister a virgin?"

He rounded on her, stunned. "What the hell kind of a question is that? Of course she is!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you positive?"

"Why would it matter, Tak?" Tine asked politely.

MiMi's hand was replaced by Tak's on holding the ice pack. The SIR unit slid gracefully onto her master's chair, as if keeping it secured until Tak returned to reclaim it. Tak stood, pacing, muttering to herself in Irken again. Dib was really getting irritated by that but it was hardly her fault if English and Irken were like one language to her. But the way she said it made it seem like she was reciting something, remembering words from somewhere.

"_Because_," Tak finally said, addressing them. "If Zim hasn't mated with Gaz yet, then he's got no claim over her. If she wanted to, she could very well leave any time she likes. Which leaves the question; why is she staying with him?"

"What are you saying?" Zita demanded. "Gaz missed Zim! Of course she'd stay with him!"

"In a relationship outside of love, one always picks the relative over the lover," Tip said wisely. "It makes sense."

"Zim said he'd blow up the country," Dib growled, not liking where this was heading. "Gaz surrendered herself to Zim to keep us _safe_."

"What?" Tak scoffed, looking at him in disbelief. "An Irken never threatens a mate, especially if he's only courting her. It's completely vile and degrades the act in the first place! A female would never accept a mate who threatened her, it's demeaning."

"Even if he wasn't serious, Gaz didn't know that." Dib defended, glaring at her.

Tak rolled her eyes. "He'd have to have told her he wasn't serious, at some point. His PAK would force him to before she did what she was told, one way or another. Your little sister would've had to have known what she was doing when she was giving herself up."

Everyone froze.

Tak's mouth slowly curved into an arrogant smile of surprise. "Oh, _I_ see. Well, it seems as though Gaz had _quite_ a few secrets up her sleeve."

"You don't know anything, Tak!" Dib shouted at once. "Gaz wouldn't betray us! She was mad and hurt by what Zim did in not telling her!"

Tak snorted, eying him with disbelief. "She would get that mad just because he was protecting her? I figured your sister was smarter then you, Dib, but I didn't realize you were this dumb. Gaz, if what you've said repeatedly is correct, knew Zim better then anyone. She would've been able to impassively figure out that the reason Zim kept this from her was to protect her, like an Irken will always to for his mate. Regardless of what customs she knows, Zim would've been letting her know he was keeping her safe this whole time."

"That's impossible," Zita insisted, also not liking that everyone was jumping to conclusions about her friend. "He's never had direct contact with her."

"What about messages?" Tak questioned. "That _e-mail_ you humans use. Does Gaz have a computer?"

"No," Dib insisted. "Just me."

"And have you received any messages since this started?" Tak pressed, seeing Dib still at the mention. "Ones you maybe couldn't read or were written in some sort of code?"

He paled.

"Let me see your computer," Tak ordered. "If not to prove me right, to prove me wrong."

Dib scowled, walking out of the room. "Fine! But you better apologize when you see Gaz didn't do anything wrong!"

Tak just snorted. Fat chance _that_ was going to happen.

Dib returned to the room, showing her the screen-shot he'd taken of Zim's message. "There, look. Nothing, right?"

Tak eyed the screen, her human eyes readjusting to the momentarily foreign characters. MiMi shot to her shoulder, like she always did. Tak had programmed her to check everything she did, just in case she made a mistake. It had never happened but it was always nice to have back-up.

When she was done, she looked up at Dib. "I owe you no apology, Dib."

His eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What are you talking about, Tak?"

"Just what I mean, Dib." She smiled sweetly. "Your lovely little _sister_ is a traitor!"

* * *

"This is weird," The woman informed Gaz as she took her measurements. "This is really weird."

Gaz glanced down. It was her, and three assistants, standing in the corner. Zim had left the room upon the woman's discomfort, stating that it was 'bad luck for the groom to see anything about the bride's dress before the wedding'. His brow had risen, but upon Gaz's shrug, he left the room to go do whatever it was Zim did.

Gaz glanced down at her. "You're telling me. I wake up being informed we're going out on a kidnapping spree. Not exactly how I imagine my day starting but certainly not the most boring of days."

The woman snorted, a slight accent in her voice. Zim literally looked up 'designer' with his computer and picked the most exclusive one he could find. "And I thought _my_ relationship was off."

Gaz smirked. "You've got _no_ idea."

The woman took the tap-measurer, wrapping it around Gaz's waist. "Don't hold your breath, or the dress won't fit when you put it on."

"I'm not," Gaz insisted, confused, a brow rising.

The woman looked up at her in disbelief. Then she shook her head, removing it. "What I wouldn't have given to have your figure when I was your age."

Gaz felt immediately embarrassed, looking down at her body.

The woman smiled at her, noticing this. "No need to be embarrassed, hun. Save the blushing for when your with your groom."

Gaz snorted. She wasn't particularly fond of this woman, but she was certainly entertaining. "I imagine you have some questions about that."

"Pencil!" The woman ordered, holding out her hand. One of her assistance jotting down information handed her one. Gaz eyed this all with slight intrigue, wondering how many people it took to make a wedding dress. "I was never one to pry, but, since you're_ offering_-!" The woman looked up and smiled at her. "You're not being . . . _forced_, right? I mean, I know the news says he loves you and all, but I never relied on third-hand information."

"Third-hand?" Gaz thought, confused. The news was second-hand, not third. "How do you figure?"

"You get the second-hand from the cameras themselves and third-hand from the way the reports and talk-show hosts interpret and doctor the original footage." The woman explained, looking over the sketch. She frowned, gesturing to a few things. Then she went back to Gaz, "Lift your arms." Gaz did so at once, holding her arms straight above her head. "So, what's the deal between you and, uh, my Emperor."

"You seem comfortable talking to me," Gaz noted, avoiding her question to remain in control. She didn't like how casual this woman was being, even if it _was_ amusing. "Why is that?"

"People trust people with looks and power," The woman replied, measuring her bust line. Once again her face twisted in slight envy, smirking a little after as she re-measured. It was slightly uncomfortable to Gaz but she ignored it. "And, it's just a girl thing. I know everyone says you're kind and terrifying at the same time, but we've got female intuition in common, whether you acknowledge it or not."

Gaz's eyes narrowed. So she knew she was dangerous and still didn't care. That just made her reckless and therefor stupid enough to be a threat, but not smart enough to act on it. "Mm."

"Now you answer my question. Hold your arms straight out." The woman continued measuring as Gaz did so, measuring from her shoulder to her fingertips with care. "How do you feel about this?"

Gaz smirked. "It's not a big deal to me. I knew it was going to happen eventually, I just didn't expect to be in this type of situation when it happened."

"You mean as an Empress to two countries and to the world?"

"Pretty much." Gaz agreed, her arms dropping as the woman backed away, towards the table with all the papers on it again, with her measurements and sizes. "Zim's an idiot, but I love him."

"Good to know," the woman replied. "It's against my policy to make dresses for unwilling brides."

Gaz just snorted.

"We're going to show you some fabrics," One of the assistants said eventually. "We're you edging towards a more traditional white dress, or something a bit different, like black?"

"White," Gaz said at once. Zim would probably feel robbed of the traditional Earth wedding. "No black or cream or anything like that."

"Old-fashioned gal," The woman noted. "Never would've pegged you for that kind of person."

"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this right," Gaz replied bluntly. "No ballroom-gown kind of thing though. No way."

"Scratch Sketch 3," The woman ordered.

Gaz shivered as a breeze ran through the room. She was wearing only a white slip-dress and white underthings. These people would be working through the night, as Zim was going to provide everything they needed to make Gaz's dress to ensure its quick completion. Zim had scheduled the wedding the day after tomorrow. While Gaz knew why he wanted to get it done so quickly (alien men and their hormones) it was sort of hard to keep up with how quickly things were going. Dib wasn't going to be there, and who knew where her father was. It would just be her and Zim.

She could live with that. Gaz had never wanted a ceremonial wedding anyways.

"All done," the woman finally said, gesturing to the curtained off area. "You can go put your clothes back on in there."

Sighing with relief, Gaz walked over, nearly stripping as she went. Following instructions, the woman hit the buzzer Zim had shown her, to let him know when she was done with her. The kidnappings had taken most of the morning and the fitting and measurements the afternoon. It was around 3 now and upon dressing and leaving the area, the woman showed Gaz several sketches.

"Which one do you like best?" She asked.

Gaz glanced at the them. Eventually she pointed. "That one."

"Your fitting will be in the morning tomorrow, for final alterations." The woman said, removing her selection and placing it in a folder, discarding the rest of them into a trash-can. "Your fiancé will be here in a minute."

Gaz just nodded. As if on cue, the door opened, Zim entering the room.

He smiled at her, taking her hands in his. "Hello, love. How did your fitting go?"

Gaz noticed him shoot looks of suspicion over her shoulder, at the women behind her. She guessed they looked nervous, as a slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. She rolled her eyes at his immaturity.

"It was fine," she insisted. "And don't call me 'love'. That's weird."

"Then I'll be sure to call you it all the more," he insisted, leading her out with a hand around her waist.

"Well then I'm going to call you something annoying." She retorted. "Since you have so many annoying nicknames for me. It's only fair."

"Oh?" He asked, opening the door for her. "And what did you have in mind?"

Gaz scowled at him. "I don't know, but whatever I come up with, I'm going to call you it every time you call me a stupid name."

"They're terms of endearment, not stupidity!" He insisted, shutting the door behind them. Out of the way of the prying eyes of the females, he took her in his arms, hand brushing gently across her jawline and leaning in close enough so that his breath mingled with hers. "Although I have different ways of showing my affection, if you don't approve of those compliments."

Gaz's breath caught in her throat, her eyes locking onto his and narrowing in confusion. "I thought you wanted to wait until we were married."

Zim chuckled, fingers tracing her jawline. "Oh, Gaz. Zim has recently become very aware we can actually go rather far without going 'all the way' as your species so crudely puts it."

"Third base," Gaz replied, snorting with a smirk. "Yeah, I know."

"Well then, since you're so knowledgeable." Zim said, backing her up against the wall. His mouth moved to her ear, breathing hot gasps into it and making her stiffen a bit. "_Why don't we try a little experiment_?"

"Because we've got all night to do that," Gaz replied, slipping out of his grasp playfully. "Right now, I wanna see this place."

Zim smirked, taking her by the hand and sighing. "Very well, come along. I will give you the grand tour. But first, nourishment!"

"It's called _food_, you know. _Food_, not _nourishment_." Gaz insisted as Zim took her hurriedly down the hallway.

Zim turned to look at her, still smirking. "Zim will call it what I want to!"

Gaz just rolled his eyes and continued smiling.

* * *

There had been a lot of yelling.

For a really _long_ time.

MiMi had never looked so tense and unsure of herself, flicking between her master and anyone yelling, mainly Dib.

"Enough!" Tine finally shouted, silencing both Tak and Dib as she jumped to her feet. "Your disagreement isn't going to get us anywhere! If we want the _real_ truth, we're going to have to ask Gaz herself."

"And how would you go about doing that, hmm?" Dib demanded. "In case you didn't notice, Tine, she's barricaded in an impenetrable fortress! How exactly are we supposed to get her out?"

"Ahem," Tak hissed, playing with a strand of her hair in her long nails. She had sat down and MiMi was once again holding the ice pack. "Just because I'm human doesn't mean I'm as incompetent as one! I've always been able to break into anything of Zim's. I was one of the top hackers in the academy. All I need is a place to work and your computer, Dib."

"Tak," Zita said nervously, addressing her directly for the first time. She forced herself to hold her ground as Tak turned the full force of her eyes on her, which were accompanied by MiMi's red ones (now that things had calmed she was able to focus better on who to target). "I was wondering about what you said earlier, about Gaz being a . . . virgin and all."

Dib made a face of disgust at speaking of his sister's virginity, but Tak's brow rose, intrigued, but suspicious. "Yes? What about it?"

"You said 'claim' and . . . well, I was just wondering what that meant, about her having her own choices like she does now." Zita finished, uncomfortably. Dib wasn't the only one feeling awkward about discussing this.

Tak made a face of contemplation, nail tracing her chin-line as she recalled the information.

"In Zim's mind, and in the eyes of the Irken Empire," She began. "When a couple mates, they effectively belong to one another. It's a sign of ownership that the body you were so 'connected' with is now a part of you as well. It's the sign of a complete, dominating partnership."

"Wait, is it ownership or partnership?" Tine asked, confused.

Tak sighed, trying to find the right words. "Effectively, it's both. It's rarely easy to tell which of the partners is the more dominating of the two, as that is normally something demonstrated in private. But on the outside, it's a very equal relationship."

"I think I know who's the dominating one," Dib growled, furious. "That's all Zim ever wanted from Gaz! To own her!"

Tak eyed his demonstration of fury. It seemed in her absence any self-righteous feelings had evaporated in favor of passionate fury. Intriguing. Unbeknown to her, a small smirk of pleasure appeared on her face as she turned away from him, back to Zita.

"Whatever Zim's motivations," She continued, serious once more. "He _doesn't_ own her yet. Not even once they do this whole charade of a marriage, so Zim can be chivalrous and human-like about it. For an Irken male to have a creature as frightening and powerful as your sister, Dib, as a mate . . . it's considered a _huge_ accomplishment, especially for someone as incompetent as he used to be."

"She's not his mate yet!" Dib shouted, frustrated, gripping the table painfully hard as he took deep, angry breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. Tak watched all this with interest, not quite sure why he was doing that. Anger, especially in this situation, often led to revenge. So then why was he fighting motivation like that?

Gretchen stood up, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Tak's brow rose. This was the second time today she'd done that and the repetitive action was starting to get annoying. Or maybe it was just Gretchen. It very well could've been both.

Tip and Tine shared looks, then smirks.

Time to play.

"Well since this is Dib's sister," Tip said, both turning away from the other and speaking seriously. "Dib should be in charge of a retrieval mission for her."

Tak's brow rose, turning to the children. She snorted. "Hardly. He knows nothing of Irken technology like myself."

"I know plenty, thanks," Dib retorted. "I hung around Zim for three years and saw more than my fair share of his technology."

"You don't know how to use it, though." Tak retorted. "It's your sister, Dib, and I care for her not. So, while I _will_ be in charge of infiltrating the fortress, it'll be your job to locate her and to at least _talk_ to her before the wedding."

Dib was surprised. He hadn't expected a compromise. "Um, okay . . . Thanks, I guess . . ."

Tak eyed him severely. She wasn't sure why she was being nice to this idiot boy. So she just shrugged his gratitude off, turning to leave. MiMi followed behind her, watching Tak hold the ice pack on her own again. To be honest Tak didn't quite know where she was going, but she needed to get the hell out the house for a while.

All this _filthy_ human emotion was rubbing off on her.

* * *

Zim had, as promised, given Gaz a tour of the place only after he'd made her eat something. '_Made_ her eat something' being the key point as oddly, Gaz had lost her appetite even though she had eaten much in the morning either. Zim shot her wary looks throughout the tour, as if he expected her to drop at any second. In fact he'd even warned the tailors to see if she was feeling alright and to press the 'call' button if they thought otherwise.

But she seemed healthy as ever, if not a bit bored every once in a while. Still, it made him wary. By the time she'd fallen asleep on him and from when he, ahem, saw her when she woke up, that meant Gaz hadn't gotten much sleep either. He was worried about her. Zim decided he was probably going to have to keep a better eye on her. Hopefully whatever was in her system would leave, given enough time.

"And this," he said, leading her into the final room he was going to show her tonight. "Is the Observatory."

Gaz's eyes widened slightly. Anyone besides Zim would've missed it but at the movement of awe he smirked, pleased with himself, glad that he'd left this room for the last. This new Observatory was twice as large as the old one. Currently (as earlier this morning Skoodge had been instructed to turn it on and have it project the sky) it had a lovely view of the moon, stars and of course, in the distance, Planet Irk.

"I'm glad you like it," Zim informed her, not needing to hear the words. Her expression was enough.

Gaz shot him a look of slight irritation for reading her, but otherwise said nothing. She turned her attention back to the sky, folding her arms across her chest and just watching. All the view of the sky without having to actually be outside in the cold, November air. Zim watched Gaz's unreadable expression as she looked at the sky.

Somehow he just kind of knew she was thinking about her brother.

"Are you tired?" Zim asked her, in an attempt to remove that depressing topic from her mind.

Gaz blinked a few times, obviously being pulled out of some deep train of thought. She looked to Zim, shaking her head. "No. Why?"

"Because you need to eat again," he chuckled, smirking at her. "Aren't you supposed to know that? _You're_ the human one!"

She scowled at him. "Shut up! And what if I'm not hungry?"

"Then I'll have Gir come force-feed you." Zim retorted, looking around as if he half-expected his SIR unit to drop from the ceiling. "Speaking of which, where has he been? I would've thought he'd be glued to your side after your absence."

"I don't know. I haven't seen him all day," Gaz replied, shrugging. "He must be playing with your little Skoodge-partner or whatever."

"Then I pity Skoodge," Zim joked, taking her hand. "Come on, I'm going to get food in you one way or another. You might at least _pretend_ that you care enough about your health to eat at least three times today."

Gaz just rolled her eyes, but allowed it.

* * *

Dib sat outside, mostly unaffected by the cold. Thankfully, he'd had the sense to buy rather warm clothes and so he was bundled up in a jacket, over his trench-coat, which he realized he really needed to wash. He was staring up at the sky, wondering what his sister was doing.

Tak, from her second-story window, could see him, just sitting there, looking as relaxed as ever. She actually had been walking past it, pacing as she'd tried to figure out how Zim had gotten so strong in such a short amount of time, when she'd caught of MiMi, glaring at something that was moving on the ground below them. Pausing, Tak had looked out to see the annoying Dib, completely oblivious to her notice of him as he sat on a fallen tree.

_Fool_, Tak thought, eyes narrowing as she glanced at the computer, telling her how low the temperature was outside. _Humans can't survive in these types of weather conditions._

Irritated at his stupidity, she threw the window open, silently.

"Are you _trying_ to freeze yourself to death, or were you just going to sit out there until a couple of your limbs froze off?" She shouted down to him, shattering the peaceful silence of the night without a second thought.

Dib's head shot around to see Tak, looking at him boredly, a brow rising. Behind him he could see his computer screen lit up, but it was too far to tell what she was looking at.

He lifted his arms, showing her the sheer puffiness of the coat. "I'm fine. This thing is built for this kind of weather."

"Very well," Tak replied, straightening a bit. "But if you freeze to death, I'm not making any promises your body won't be strewn across the lawn for my own personal amusement afterwards."

Dib snorted, smirking at her, turning around more. "You wouldn't miss me after I was dead?"

She gave him a look of complete disbelief. "Not in the least. What action of mine has even hinted to you otherwise?"

"You're trying to tell me to get back in the house because it's cold. I thought you would've been thrilled at the possibility I might freeze to death out here. I wouldn't put it past you to even throw water at me, so I catch hypothermia." Dib insisted, growing all the more amused at this banter, oddly.

Tak glared at him. "You can die in any creative way you want on your own, _Dib_. But you're not my target (yet) so don't assume I'll have anything to do with your death until Zim is dead and I know for sure he's not coming back. However, if I simply witness your death on your own accord, I won't make any moves to stop it."

Dib was honestly surprised at her bluntness. He sat with both feet up on the log now, arms around them loosely, looking up at her. "So what, you're just going to stay up there and watch me to see if I die?" He smirked, tauntingly. "That's kind of creepy, Tak."

"Shut up! That's not what I meant!" Tak retorted, glaring at him, no trace of humor in her eyes.

"Does that mean I get to watch you back?" Dib continued, hoping to get a rise out of her.

In response Tak stood up, away from the window. He saw her mouth move, doubtless an order as MiMi reached up and slammed it shut, glaring at him one last time before shutting the curtains, blocking any view that Dib could've possibly had into her window. He smirked, looking down before turning back towards the sky. Then the smile wiped off his face.

Eh . . . Maybe he should go back inside.

This weather was making him think weird.

* * *

Just a little fluff to wet your taste buds.

I almost had a hard-core Gaz/Zim moment in here (that didn't go all the way, of course), but as you can see, I, or rather Gaz, decided she wasn't quite in the mood for a mid-morning tangle.

So yes. Sooon though, my pets, soon. Day after tomorrow is their wedding.

And what an eventful reception it will be! (evil snicker, because snickers are so much more adorable)

**Daily Quote:**

**Me:  
My theme song makes me want to go see a light show. ^_^**

**IN UR PANTS**

**Or be IN the light show! *_***

**Friend:  
OR the light show could be IN my pants**

**Me:  
And . . . I could be in it-? OMG I GET IT**

**-Clever wordplay between my friend and I while messaging over facebook. I literally wrote this and began laughing for about an hour before logging onto fanfiction and posting this for you. A word-for-word play right there. Feel free to use that somehow if you can. XD**

Till the next chapter!


	20. Final Details

ForceWalker

Chapter 19

Damn, you little tease! For a moment, I actually thought Zim and Gaz were going to go for a bit right there and then! Once again, you little tease!  
And I'm very intrigued with Dib and Tak's...relationship, so to put it. What is it going to evolve into?  
And I expected the designer to be understanding to the whole situation! Looks like I was right! Ha!

**I get called a tease a lot.**

**LOL, random designer guess. Nice, nice.**

Gman2092

Chapter 19

how long til the next chapter? Please say not long...  
Ohhh, no midmorning Tango for out lovely young Heroin-...er...Demoness? I dunno, either way, It's awesome. I love it, and I like the mating thing idea whatever. lol do you think there are homosexual irkens? How would THAT work?

**Psh, I update every other day, dude.**

**ANTI-HEROINE. Gaz is the ULTIMATE. ANTI-HEROINE.**

**O.O**

**Well . . . I don't know, ask Purple and Red. I'm sure THEY'D know something about it.**

**:D**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 19

How do you not know about the Taj Mahal and the Sistine Chapel? I guess next you'll tell me you've never heard of the Mona Lisa. Google them. Google them NAO!  
Anyway...  
Good chapter. So, we *are* getting DaTr then? Good, I like me a bit of DaTr.

**I looked up the Sistine Chapel.**

**And was frightened and intimidated by all the pictures that came up, so I quickly shut Google in my terror and then reopened it to look up the Taj Mahal. Then I was like, "OMG! THAT LOOKS LIKE THE PLACE FROM ALADDIN!"**

**Because I was raised off of Disney.**

**I know wha tthe Mona Lisa is! . . . It's a painting, right?**

**Just kidding, I know. Don't be dissing meh cause I live under a rock!**

**Yes, but I'm making any DATR a bit complicated. Because-. Well, you'll just have to see for yourself when the chapter comes up.**

I'm painting my room a fuchsia color!

Yay!

Who doesn't like that color? (Because you suck if you do, that's Gaz's fire-color)

Also, I'm slowing my updates to every 2 days. I'm pushing out chapters quicker then I'm writing them up.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 20  
"Final Details"**

Zim had Gaz pinned underneath him.

They were breathing heavily, Zim on his hands and knees looking down at her as she stared up at him. The room was bathed in no light but the moonlight that filtered through the glass doors. Surprised at how tired he was, Zim lowered his head, resting it on the mattress, next to the crook of her neck. Gaz could feel him breathing on her shoulder, her head tilting back to look up past his shoulder towards the ceiling. Zim's body hovered mere centimeters above hers. Just moments ago it had pressed against it.

Eventually Zim rolled off of her, lying next to her instead. He smirked at her, his breath finally returning to normal. "Tired _now_?"

Gaz glared at him. Then she sighed. "Yes."

"Good." Zim replied, cradling her against him. "Now sleep."

It was some time later when she actually fell asleep.

Zim watched her the whole time.

It was kind of creepy sounding, but he was scared for her. Was she beginning to come down with something? Had she caught something while she was in Dib's care? Insolent fool! How had Zim brought himself to trust that idiotic buffoon with the care of his precious Empress?

Zim had taken the night off tonight, to be there this time when Gaz woke up. Not only had he felt bad leaving her there to go to his conference with the Russians, walking back in to find her in such a . . . _compromising_ position hadn't exactly been a situation he wanted to repeat. At least, not until after he had wed her.

Gaz shifted slightly in her sleep. She was wearing a black nightgown tonight. Her leg shifted, curling over his and she sighed, silently. Zim smiled at her sleeping form, stroking her face gently. Gaz's face twitched but she otherwise did nothing.

He sighed, smiling. "How can a creature like you need Zim to show your world your greatness?"

Of course, he got no response.

Zim stared up at the ceiling and did nothing, smiling, completely content with simply lying with Gaz.

That was, until she woke up.

Gaz's eyes shot open with a gasp, Zim's eyes immediately darting down to her face with alarm. She sat up immediately, breathing heavily, as if she'd just done some sort of greatly strenuous activity.

"Gaz?" He questioned, sitting up and placing a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong? Why have you woken?"

Gaz closed her eyes, placing her hand on her forehead. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. The shudder that passed over her did not escape from Zim's vision and his red eyes filled with fear and concern. Gaz had worn a silk tank-top and a pair of shorts to bed, not exactly warm clothes. Wondering if the shiver was from some breeze (though he didn't know how that would happen, as his fortress kept everything out, breezes included), Zim got out of bed and reached under it, retrieving a spare blanket. Normally he would've asked the computer to fetch him one but he didn't want to speak, afraid of breaking the silence for some reason.

When he draped the blanket around her shoulders, Gaz stiffened at the touch. Zim wrapped it tighter around her, moving to sit next to her, antenna wilted in confusion and fear. He hated not knowing what was going on! Especially when Gaz did not seem well.

Finally, Gaz's body relaxed and she removed the blanket, lying back down on the bed, her back to him. "It was just a dream. I'm fine."

Zim glared at her. He gripped her around the waist as he lay down again, turning her to face him, one hand cupping her cheek. "If it was enough to wake you, it certainly was nothing."

Gaz looked down at his chest, which was not covered by his standard Invader-issue shirt. Instead he wore what was underneath, since it had been tossed aside at some point in their intimate time. It was a black, long-sleeved, sleek shirt. She looked at it instead of his face.

"It was just a dream, Zim."

"A dream that bothered you," he insisted, getting irritated now. "Gaz, what happened?"

"I don't . . .!" Gaz trailed off in her yelling, shutting her eyes. "I . . . I just want to go back to sleep, okay?"

Sighing at her stubbornness, Zim nodded, kissing her on the forehead. "Very well. Rest assured, we _will_ discuss this at some point, but Zim wishes for you to at least try to get a regular amount of sleep tonight."

Gaz didn't say anything.

Rolling his eyes, still feeling that buzz of nerves inside him, Zim held her closely, and all was silent.

Then Gaz's brow rose and she moved away, giving him a look of disbelief. "Are you humming?"

"Yes." Zim's brow rose back at her. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"I . . . Where did you even hear a tune on Earth you would be willing to hum?"

"It's not from Earth, it's an Irken Lullaby, the only one in existence. When I was a smeet, I was still sleeping, or in hibernation mode, I mean. We grow out of our need for rest and eventually wear back down into needing to again when we grow old. Someone in my section decided it would be fun to play with the Irken Control-Brains instead of the weapons we were given to toy with, and ended up breaking one, making it emit a tune every time it was time to put us all to rest. It took ages to fix and eventually got stuck in everyone's head. It became the first and only lullaby, tune, or music to ever exist in Irken history. It's very catchy though, don't you think?"

"So, let me guess," Gaz smirked at him. "You were the one who broke the Control-Brain?"

Zim scowled at her. "Nobody could prove anything. And it made history, didn't it?"

"I'm sure you're glorifying a disaster." Gaz insisted, laughing as she replaced her head on his chest.

He frowned at her form, but then his gaze softened upon seeing she had relaxed again, running his fingers through her hair. "So would you like Zim to hum or would you prefer silence?"

She sighed, not bothering to open her eyes. But he imagined if they were open, she'd be rolling them at his comment. "You can hum."

Pleased and grinning at her, Zim closed his mouth again, humming to her. He heard her snicker a little at the oddity she must have thought it was, but after a while her breathing slowed and he knew she was asleep.

Zim hummed throughout the night, and she didn't wake up again.

* * *

Tak was pleased to find upon waking that her hand was healed.

Black pants and another striped shirt were laid out on her bed again. However, the difference was that there was only one long sleeve. On her right arm, there was nothing. It was a one-sleeved shirt.

She scowled. Humans and their odd ways of fashion.

But she put it on, if not for lack of anything else to where, Tak was far too lazy to honestly give a damn about how she looked. And she probably would be working in her room all day today anyways.

Tomorrow was Zim's wedding.

She only had one day left to crack the codes of his fortress, for at least a little while.

Yesterday, only able to use one hand, Tak hadn't able to get much done. And MiMi couldn't have done it because as smart as her SIR unit was, she had never been trained in the art of hacking. In the end Tak done in three hours what should've taken her three minutes. It was so irritating that Tak had given up early to start again fresh in the morning. Obviously, flexing her hand, it was worth it. She figured that while she did get injuries as a human, they healed quicker then a normal one would.

At least that was _something_.

She got up, re-opening Dib's computer and picking up where she had left off yesterday.

Dib. Ugh, that unbearable, annoying little boy. Tak scowled at the thought of him and his remark yesterday. She hated this body the Tallest had placed her in, cursing herself for designing the original child-version they'd based her disguise off of. In a way this was all her fault.

And she hated _that_ too.

A knock on her door made Tak wonder if this was going to be a daily thing.

"What do _you_ want?" She demanded, rudely, making a guess at who it was calling on her.

A squeak on the other end made her stop in her typing, looking up in surprise. Definitely not the boy.

"Hello?" Tak said again, warily, a slender brow rising. Then she became suspicious as she got no response, hands curling into fists. "If you don't identify yourself, I'm going to have MiMi break down the door and attack you!"

In response to this mention of action, MiMi stopped looking out the window, tensing and facing the door, poised to strike.

"U-Um, no need to do that!" A frightened voice said quickly from the other side. "D-Dib just asked me to come see if you were alright, since you didn't come down for breakfast this morning!"

Tak's eyes widened in surprise and her eyes immediately went to the clock. The even more irritating little Gretchen girl was right. It was 9am, a few hours past breakfast, since everyone gather around 8. She growled, annoyed with herself for sleeping in. MiMi had relaxed, eyes flicking between her master and the clock, wondering its significance.

"Tell that idiotic excuse for an investigator that it is none of his concern whether I choose to come down or not for morning meals!" Tak snapped. "I'll be working throughout the day, so as to remain undisturbed, so I'll request you send food in hear immediately so that I may continue working."

"Sure! O-Of course!" Gretchen said. "I'll, eh, send Dib your message!"

Tak rolled her eyes as the gentle thump of Gretchen fleeing from her door was heard. She turned back to her computer, irritated as she felt her long hair getting in the way somehow. She got to her feet at once, digging around for something sharp.

She was going to take care of this problem at once, before anything else could happen.

* * *

Dib glanced up from his lessons in weapon-handling as Gretchen cleared her throat.

"Oh, hey Gretch," He said. Glancing back he said, "Take five everyone!"

She blushed at the nickname, glowing on the inside as he approached her. "Heh. Hi, Dib."

"How's Tak?" He asked, bringing that glow down to a dim spark.

The smile faltered, but Dib didn't notice. "She says, um . . . Well-."

"Let me guess," Dib's smile became a bit more mischievous. "Something to the effect of 'Tell Dib to leave me alone, it's none of his business what I do'?"

She blushed harder, chin inkling towards the floor, looking up at him through her lashes. "In so many words . . . She also said she'll be eating in her room for today. I'm going to go ask the maid to send up some breakfast now."

Dib made a face, glancing back to the second story of the house, since they were outside again. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't bother," He insisted, smiling at her again. "I'll bring it up myself, make sure she's not destroying your house up there or anything just because she's getting frustrated hacking Zim's defenses."

Gretchen's eyes widened in protest, "No! You shouldn't do that!"

Dib's brow rose at her. "Why?"

Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, glancing from her to the house. "Did she . . . say something to you?"

Gretchen bit her lip, speaking hurriedly through her nerves. "Not _exactly_, but, she just didn't sound like she was in a good mood is all!"

Dib frowned. Gretchen was a bit jumpy. He didn't like thinking Tak was terrorizing people just because she was in a 'bad mood' (according to Gretchen but with Tak you really couldn't know for sure second-hand). "No, I should check on her. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Gretchen watched, unable to do anything as her mouth parted but nothing came out, Dib brushing past her towards the house. She let out a breath, face contorted in worry and discomfort. Why was Dib so concerned about Tak being upset? He didn't like her, did he? She could feel the blood draining from her skin tone, staring after him.

"White with Worry isn't a good color on you."

She spun around, seeing Tip and Tine smirking around them as they sat on a log.

"And frankly," Tine added, for it was Tip that had spoken. She turned a dazzling sneer towards her, eyes locking with her cousin. "Green with Envy isn't either."

Gretchen scowled at them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"_Please_, Gretchen." Tip insisted, shaking his head with a sigh. "It's painfully obvious. But honestly, he isn't interested. And you don't have the time to wear him down."

"Tak's got the advantage," Tine added. "Dib hates her."

"Wait," Gretchen's eyes scrunched in confusion. "Wouldn't that be a _dis_advantage?"

"Not _necessarily_," Tine mused, as she played with a sword she'd had custom made for herself. Gretchen was well aware Tine had always been a fan of anything of Gaz's and noticed at once the similarities between Gaz's sword and Tine's. "Hate, depending on the type, can often lead to frustration, which leads to the need for release."

"Teenagers that can't control their hormones normally use something sexual as a release."

"And Tak has just obtained new, human pheromones," Tine finished, a slow smirk appearing on her face. She looked up at Gretchen. "Really, cousin. It's just an inevitable event that those two are going to hook up."

"Their next fight, perhaps," Tip sneered, turning to his sister. "And Tak already wasn't in a good mood, correct?"

They both threw back their heads, laughing. Gretchen's face flushed with embarrassment and anger, hands curling into fists as she stomped her foot on the ground.

"That's not funny!" She insisted, angry tears in her eyes as her lower lip trembled a bit. "He doesn't like her! Just shut up!"

She ran off. Tine and Tip shared a look of uncertainty.

"Should we . . .?" Tine began.

Then they said collectively, "Nah!"

* * *

Dib heard cursing before he even knocked. Or at least, the hissing, nasty way it was said sounded like cursing, as he was fairly sure she was speaking in Irken or something, as he couldn't understand a word of what she was saying.

"Tak?" He called, approaching the door.

Another foreign curse. A pause, and then, "I thought I told that obsessive little twit to tell you to leave me alone!"

Dib scowled. A part of him wanted to disagree with her, but, _well-._

"It's rude to call people names, Tak. What did Gretchen ever do to you?" After a thump and another swear he demanded. "And what are you doing in there?"

"_Valsik*! _Ugh! It's none of your concern! Go away!"

Dib rolled his eyes and opened the door (ready to cover his eyes, should the need come, since it was clear Tak had no respect for her human body).

He was surprised at what he saw.

Tak was at the mirror. That was surprising as well, but not the main source for his shock. Since when did she care what she looked like? However, what was truly stunning was her hair.

It was short.

Furious violet eyes shot to his face, narrowing at him. "I told you to leave my presence, Dib. Are you truly so incapable of following orders and respecting privacy that you must barge into my room daily? Is this going to become a habit? Should I just leave the door open from now on, so you don't have to be bothered by opening it?"

Dib rolled his eyes. "Stop being so over-dramatic Tak. By the way, why are you swearing if you're just cutting your hair with a pair of scissors?"

"THIS USELESS DEVICE IS ANNOYING TO USE!" She shrieked, throwing the scissors at the wall, recreating that thump sound Dib had heard. She sighed as MiMi (looking rather nervous and unsure of what else she should do) retrieved them and handed them back over. Tak sigh, going back to the mirror and fixing her hold on them.

Dib snorted. "I would imagine they would be. You're holding them wrong."

Tak froze, her eyes traveling slowly downwards, towards her hand. "Oh . . . No matter, I am finished anyways!"

She was pretty much finished, actually. It was the same cut she had once worn it in, though how she had gotten it so precisely straight (especially holding the scissors wrong) he would never figure out. Tak took the scissors and shoved them in a drawer, ignoring them completely.

"Um," He held the plate out, setting it down next to her. "I brought your food up."

Tak eyed the plate, her eyes flicking to Dib, before turning her attention back to his laptop. "Very well."

All sorts of foreign characters were on the screen. Even if Dib could read Irken, he would never be able to read and recognize the letters that fast. But Tak was typing in things, as if in response to what she was reading. An impressive multitasking skill, Dib noted, watching this for a few minutes.

She spoke without turning around. "Did you have something else to say, or were you just staring so that your eyes could dry out and become the _literal_ sense of the Swollen Eyeball?"

Dib snapped out of his awe then. "Oh, uh, sorry. I was just-."

"Despite your fancy Dib, I actually don't care what you were doing." Tak interrupted, still not bothering to look at him. Well now she was doing three things at once; reading, writing, and making him look like an idiot.

Although really, insulting Dib didn't take nearly as much effort as the other two.

"Right," He said, turning to leave.

Then there was a pause. Then she said, curtly. "Dib?"

Dib turned around at once, looking at her with slight surprise that she wasn't saying his name like acidic and vile, just like it had a bad aftertaste . "Yeah?"

Tak smirked at him.

He gulped.

"Stay the hell out of my room."

Once again MiMi shoved him out in the blink of an eye. He fell on his hands and knees, looking back to see the robotic cat glaring at him, red eyes slits as she sat on the floor. Her tail swished, gripping the door, and slamming it on his face.

Dib sat up, dusting himself off and shaking his head.

Some pet that thing was.

* * *

Gaz was getting fitted again.

The dress was something she was surprised to find she entirely approved of. Most people would think it impossible to make a dress overnight, and for them, it would be, but that was simply because they didn't have Zim's technology and resources on hand.

Zim walked in the room as Gaz was changing back into her old clothes, having been waiting outside the door this time. The designer-woman could tell that there was something up, but she didn't ask. Gaz was being helped by the two assistants out of the dress, leaving only Zim and the designer on the other side of the curtain.

The designer eyed him, smirking. "It's bad luck for the groom to see his bride the day before the wedding."

"Ha!" Zim pointed at her, smirking back as if he had made some great accomplishment. "I had my computer look up your human superstitions about weddings and while the dress one is valid, that one is not! It's the day _of_ the wedding, not the day before!"

The woman laughed.

Gaz snorted from behind the curtain. "Stop harassing her, Zim."

Shock and indignation crossed his face as he looked to the dressing room, crossing his arms in a slight pout. "I was doing nothing of the sort! I was simply proving my knowledge in the paranoia of marriage! _She_ was the one who was trying to trick me! "

"It's hardly _her_ fault if you've made yourself seem so gullible," Gaz retorted.

"But-!" The sound of a zipper made him lose his train of thought. So instead he threw his hands up, "Gah! I can never win with you."

"Don't plan on that changing," She replied, smugly.

The designer expected Zim to be cross. However, she was surprised to see Zim smirking and shaking his head, apparently amused but in no way angry. Her brow rose. This was definitely _not_ the man the press had been showing on the news. The man on the news was cruel, vindictive, a narcissistic sociopath. But the man here was arrogant, easily bested by the girl (who was supposed to be innocent selfless and instead was harsh and sardonic) who he clearly loved and rather carefree and easy-going.

Her voice lowered, keeping Gaz from hearing. "You seem to be in an awfully good mood today."

Glancing at her, Zim chuckled, seeing her thoughts written all across her face. He, too, spoke quietly. "I am not really _too_ bad of a person, designer-drone. Gaz clearly likes you, and anyone she likes, Zim likes, or is at least polite to. However, I_ would_ appreciate it if that information didn't get out to the public. I have an image to keep up and I would rather pay more attention to my future wife then fixing a mess that could've been avoided by some unnecessary display of cruelty."

The woman eyed him suspiciously. Just what was this guy?

Then she shook her head, shrugging, looking back to the changing room. "If it helps the girl, sure, why not?"

Zim laughed again. "Yes, she grows on you, does she not?"

"She's got spunk," The woman replied. "Not a lot of girls her age have that spirit anymore."

Gaz came out dressed regularly once again. Zim caught no glimpse of the dress, only the black bag that it was in. He took her hands, smiling down at her. "I trust you liked your choice?"

She nodded. "Yup."

Zim placed his hand around her waist, looking at the designer. "The adjustments will be ready by tomorrow?"

"Of course," The woman replied, nodding her head respectfully, as her two assistants did. "Just a few places to tighten around her waist. She's seriously got one of the tiniest I've ever seen."

Gaz blushed, glaring down at her hands as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

Zim smirked, tightening his grip on her as he laughed. "She truly is the diamond of her race. Her looks are just a bonus." When she shifted uncomfortably, Zim laughed again, nodding to the women. "If you'll excuse us, I've got to finish giving my fiancé a tour of our home."

He turned and led her out, snickering as soon as the door shut behind them.

Gaz glared at him immediately. "That wasn't funny."

"Oh, silly Gaz," Zim brushed his hand along her still reddened cheeks. A hand she shied away from, slightly. "You shouldn't feel embarrassed about your beauty. It's simply fact that you are the most attractive thing this planet or any other has to offer."

She shifted uncomfortably, offering no reply to that. It amused Zim all the more. By now he had walked to the hallway with the windows for walls, only black lines separating the squares of glass from one another and made them windows.

He moved, pinning her against the wall, next to one of these windows now. Startled, Gaz stared at him incredulously. Zim's hand roamed her body, sliding from her waists to her hips slowly, his forehead resting against hers as he looked down at her body before flicking up to her eyes, smirking.

"Does Zim need to _show_ you how appealing you are?" He breathed.

Gaz wasn't sure what to do. A pet-peeve of hers was to be called pretty, or attractive, or any of those complimenting words. Terrifying? Hell yes, scream and cower all you want. Deadly? Most definitely, she was more than happy to have caution used around her. But beautiful? Appealing? _Sexy_? Ugh, what use did those words have on her?

But Zim seemed to be doing a really good job of convincing her otherwise.

It wasn't that Gaz didn't realize she was attractive, or had some self-conscious issues and thought she was ugly. No, she knew well others enjoyed the way she looked, even if they only got to look a moment before she was giving them such a terrifying look that the completely forgot about her looks and only realized how dangerous she was. She didn't like looks like that from people, looks other girls would kill to have. The only one Gaz wanted attention from was Zim, and he didn't give a damn what she looked like so long as he could have her. Or, at least, she'd thought he hadn't noticed.

Apparently though, Zim _had_ noticed. While he liked (_loved_, she reminded herself) her for more important reasons, reasons he focused on over her looks, he still liked them.

"You need not feel anything less than the most terrifyingly beautiful creature in this universe," he breathed in her ear, a hand brushing against her neck and sliding so it was secured behind it, ready to force her mouth onto hers at any moment of his choosing. He brought his face back to hers, locking red eyes with amber ones. "Remember that."

And then his mouth was upon hers, tongue slipping inside, body pressed against hers as he pushed her farther against the wall with his weight. Her groan was muffled by his tongue, which had once again wrapped around hers and pulled. He seemed to like doing that a lot, Gaz noted. He brought his other hands to her back, slipping it under her shirt and raking his nails gently across her spine. It was enough to get her to arch her back into him, something she knew he had intended for her to do, as he smirked against her lips immediately afterwards.

Then a scream of excitement and a crash brought them apart, Zim's head snapping in the direction of the voice that had come a ways away. Gaz blinked the haze away from her eyes, her head clearing as Zim held her securely, but platonically around the waist, letting her up from the wall as they both waited, Gaz confused and Zim expectant.

"GAZZY!"

Zim caught Gir just before he could tackle Gaz, who leaned back, a brow rising. He protested at being held by Zim, making whining noises as he fidgeted and reached out to her.

"What is it, Gir?" She asked, taking the squirming SIR unit from Zim's hands.

Gir relaxed at once, hugging Gaz with one arm and pointing down the hallway with the other, crying out in complaint. "He mean to me!"

"_Who_ is mean to you, Gir?" Zim pressed, fists at his side as he gave the spastic little robot a questioning look.

He hugged Gaz tighter, burying his head into her neck. Gaz's brow rose and she and Zim shared a look of complete confusion. What exactly had got the little SIR unit so upset?

Pointing dramatically again, but not lifting his head from her collarbone, he shouted. "Lil green man! He not nice to me!"

They both rolled they eyes before locking gaze.

"Do you mean Skoodge?" Zim asked, just knowing already that this was going to be a stupid argument.

"Uh-huh!" Gir cried, pulling away to look up at Gaz with watering eyes. "You not gon' make me stay with him no more, is you, Gazzy?"

"Stop calling me 'Gazzy', Gir." Gaz replied, avoiding his question. Actually, she wasn't sure what to do about this. She highly doubted Skoodge was being mean to him but it was possible. If she wasn't so immune to Gir's stupidity, she might have snapped and just screamed at him a few times. It Invader Skoodge had done the same thing she would hardly blame him.

He nodded vigorously, tongue sticking out of his mouth cheerfully. "Okay, Mistress!"

She sighed as he hugged her again. Well, at least that was better than Gazzy, as Mistress was technically true now. Honestly, with Gir around, who needed to have children? She was already holding him like a baby, her arm underneath his backside and other hand on his back, to hold him. He was certainly small enough and spastic enough to be a child. She smirked at the thought. Noticing this smirk, Zim's brow rose in questioning.

"What're you thinking about?" He demanded, suspiciously.

Gaz placed on her best innocent expression, taunting him all the more as his eyes narrowed once again. "Who, me? Nothing."

"No, _Gir_ is thinking of nothing. _You_ are doing something and I demand you tell me at once!"

"_Gir_ is upset," Gaz countered. "So why don't you worry about finding out what happened with Invader Skoodge instead of interrogating me about nothing?"

Gaz refused to tell Zim anything about her thoughts about Gir being their child (the _only_ child he'd ever get) in her mind. Doubtless he would panic and never allow Gir near her again and that was just mean. It wasn't like she had motherly instincts with him, _hell_ no, they just were always taking care of him because he was such a handful, like parents. And Zim, no matter how much he refused to admit it, acted like a father. Gaz was in no way mother-material but when it came to Gir, she just knew how to handle him, like a mother.

_What a weird-ass family we are_, she thought, watching a panting Invader Skoodge round the corner, looking winded and tired.

Doubtless he'd chased Gir through the castle for some reason or another. She could just see Skoodge barring Gir from doing something, Gir freaking out and insisting he was going to tell on him, and then the chase that had led them here.

"G . . . GIR!" Skoodge shouted through pants, obviously not seeing the three of them as he dragged his feet, looking at the ground.

Gir squeaked in fear upon seeing Skoodge, hiding his head back in Gaz's collarbone. Subconsciously she moved to pet him, like a cat, stroking his head.

Zim crossed his arms. "Invader Skoodge! What _the hell_ is going on here?"

Gaz's brows rose in surprise, looking at him. She had never heard him swear before. Why was he so irritated about this? And then she remembered what it had interrupted and smirked, adjusting her hold on Gir, as he had begun slipping a little bit.

Nervously, he saluted. "U-Uh, Sir!"

"_Well_?" Zim pressed, narrowing his eyes at the poor, small fellow. "Zim is running out of patience! Begin with the explaining!"

"Right!" Skoodge said, clearing his throat as he started. "I was watching Gir, sir, as you instructed me to do, when he requested to eat the transmitter. This happened a lot following and each time I refused, he proceeded to get more and more upset."

Gaz could've mouth his words herself, her guess matching Skoodge's story perfectly.

"Eventually, Sir, he snapped at me, burst into tears, called me a 'meany-head' and ran off. I chased after him, but it seems he found you anyways, before I could stop him from disturbing you. My greatest apologies for my failure, Sir, I have no excuse for it." Skoodge finished, hand falling to his side. She noticed he was avoiding looking at her. Strange. Maybe it was because she was holding Gir.

Zim scowled at Skoodge, clearly debating what to do.

Gaz decided to intervene. She pulled Gir at arm's length, giving him a stern look. "Gir, how many times have I told you that you aren't allowed to eat things that are not meant to be edible?"

"Um, 27!" He shouted, pleased with himself. And then his face dropped. "Oh_ yeah_!"

"Exactly," She said with severe finality. "Now I'm only telling you this once, Gir. You are not to run away from Invader Skoodge just because you think that he's being mean. Did he ever hit you?"

"No."

"Kick you?"

"No."

"Scream at you?"

"No."

"Then he's already nicer then Zim," She shot said alien a vindictive smile that he was both irritated with and awed by. Gaz placed him on the floor, truly feeling like a mother scolding her child (it both amused and annoyed her now), and made him face Skoodge. "Now apologize for misbehaving."

"I don't wanna!" He shrieked. And then seeing her glare he said, cheerfully, "Okay!" Gir clung to her leg, glaring at Skoodge. "I'm . . . _sorry_."

"Good," Gaz amended, shoving him back towards Skoodge. She looked at Zim with a proud smirk. "There. Problem solved."

Everyone but Gir stared at her (meaning only Zim and Skoodge). Gir beamed at his mother-figure, munching on his hand.

So was the ridiculousness of their twisted family.

* * *

*Basically translating into: _Fuck_!

And speaking of which-.

FUUUUUUUCK THIS WAS A LONG CHAPTER!

You're welcome?

Yeah, let's go with that.

The reason I keep interrupting the Gaz/Zim moments is so you feel all the more relieved at their . . . big moment.

Yeah, I'm just calling it that.

This was also used to reintroduce Gir and Skoodge, who have been neglected. My apologies.

**Daily Quote:**

**"You have cool dreams, Echo."  
"NO! They're weird as HELL!"  
"Aw come on, they can't be all bad!"  
"Well granted, some of them are amazing, but it's like being stuck in my own Wonderland on a regular basis. Except it has no rabbits, home appliances with google-eyes that try to pass off as creatures and I'm never trying to get home."**

**-Speaking with my friend about my mind.**

**I love my brain. It's imaginative and comes up with amazing ideas sometimes. However, sometimes, I am not so fond of it.**

**Creative minds are not cool for nightmares.**

TILL THE NEXT CHAPTER.


	21. Wedding Crashers

No comments this time. Sorry, I'm really busy today. I didn't have time to copy and paste the ones I wanted to respond to in here. :(

But I'll do it next time! Promise!

YES! THE WEDDING! FINALLY!

You kids enjoy yourselves now! I'll tell you right now this is going to be longer then the last chapter, most likely.

Hehehehe, the wedding is kind of funny.

I WANT YOU ALL TO LISTEN TO THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA SONG WHILE READING THIS. WHY? . . . Because I was while writing this. I don't know, maybe you'll be in the same mood I was and like it more. Seriously, I imagined Zim and Gaz in their place because I was THAT. BORED.

Also, I'm only 15, so my knowledge of a real wedding ceremony is limited. Do. Not. Yell at me.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 21  
"Wedding Crashers"**

Gaz woke up, alone, to a knock at her door.

Zim hadn't spent the night in her room. At exactly 9 o'clock he had kissed her on the cheek, wished her a goodnight, and left. Gaz thought it was ridiculous how seriously he was taking all of this but so be it. If he wanted a big ceremony, she'd humor him and pretend it mattered.

Gaz felt a bit uneasy standing. She wondered why.

She opened the door and saw the designer lady, smiling at her, wearing a gown, with a flower on her head. Behind her, the two assistants wore matching ones but dawned no flower.

Bridesmaids.

Zim was such an idiot.

"We were instructed to help you today," the woman said, stepping into the room. The two ladies behind her had a trunk of thinks, which they dropped by the door, as if barricading it. "Take a shower, we'll have a station set up by the time you get out. When we're done with you, you'll be just _radiating_ beauty."

Gaz blushed, once again feeling uncomfortably at the mention of her appearance. She escaped into the shower, thoughtfully running her hands through her hair and carefully cleaning her body. The thing people might find surprising is, Gaz did not and never _would_ need to shave, something that not only saved money but time as well. When she and her brother were children, there had been a freak accident in the lab. Any hair that wasn't on their head wouldn't grow thanks to the synthesis they'd gotten all over themselves. Actually, the reason for Dib's odd hair that refused to grow all around his head was because he had gotten it on the edges of his hair as well. She wondered why she thought of that in the shower, examining a smooth, pale leg.

And then she shuddered, for the first time in her life eying herself seriously in the mirror, not having drawn the shower curtain (because really, who was going to come in?), and wondering what she looked like. Because soon enough, Gaz realized with wide eyes, she wasn't going to be the only one who knew what she looked like naked. Another shiver, one filled with an emotion she couldn't place (whether it was fear, anticipation, or just plain nerves), passed over her body as she turned away from the mirror, finishing in the cleansing of herself.

She grabbed a towel, wringing out her short hair (again, ode to that serum, it would never grow but at least it would never fall out, either) a little to keep it from dripping. She wrapped the towel around herself, exiting the bathroom apprehensively.

As promised, a whole station awaited her. From makeup, to perfumes (she nearly gagged), to nail polish (her brow rose at this, hers hadn't chipped yet), to accessories and pretty much anything else she could've thought of (and more).

The woman patted a seat, amused at her unenthusiastic expression. "Come on, sit down, we won't bite."

"It's your _wedding day_," One of the assistants added just as teasingly. "Try to look happy."

Gaz had to smirk at that comment. She would only be remembering this day for one reason.

It was the day she lost her virginity. To an _alien_.

Why was her life so weird?

* * *

"YESSSSSSSSS!" Tak hissed, triumphantly, jumping to her feet. She had been working most of the night, sleeping only a few hours but now it was worth it entirely. "Dib! I need to wake him. MiMi! Fetch that insolent Dib boy at once!"

MiMi sat up and nodded before zipping out the door, that swung shut behind her.

Tak had already changed and was simply typing in the last of the codes, creating exactly what she wanted. She waited impatiently for MiMi to return, needing her SIR unit to download the information into.

Finally, the protests of Dib reached her keen ears, and she smirked. Clearly MiMi did not like him. Most times she was at least polite to others, so long as they had never laid a hand on her master. But with Dib she was uncomfortable, quick to judge him at the strangest of times.

It was funny to her.

The door burst open and Dib was flung into the room, landing on his hands and knees with a painful groan. When he looked up he saw Tak, sitting in her chair and motioning MiMi towards her. Obedient as always she darted to Tak, who picked her up and hooked her into the computer.

"Downloading . . . Downloading Complete." His computer announced.

Getting to his feet, Dib shook the pain off and looked at Tak. "Is that . . .?"

Tak nodded, disconnecting her SIR unit and holding her carefully, petting her. "Yes. Gather your troops, Dib. You're going to go_ speak_ with your sister."

"You're really helping me so I can talk to my sister?" Dib questioned, a brow rising as he fixed his trench coat.

Tak shrugged, handing his laptop back to him (all the Irken data was on MiMi, safely out of Dib's nosy hands) before crossing her arms. "I need to decide if I'm on the right team. If she's a traitor, you won't lead a rebellion anymore, because this is what she wants. If she's a victim, you'll continue to fight. Do you see my reasoning?"

Dib nodded. "Yeah. If Gaz is a traitor, you're going to try to beat him on your own. If she isn't, you'll stay."

"Pray she isn't, Dib," Tak said casually, walking out the door and pausing at the hinge. She added, smirking at him. "You know you'll miss me if she is."

And then Tak stalked off, still holding MiMi.

Dib stared after her. Would he really . . .?

He shook his head, hurrying off after her. He didn't have time to think about Tak and her feelings (if she had any) right now. Dib needed to focus on getting everyone ready to leave.

_Please be innocent, Gaz, _Dib's thoughts pleaded, as if she'd hear him.

But honestly, Dib wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to know his sister had nothing to do with this, or because he wanted Tak to stay.

* * *

Gaz was dressed.

And she didn't know why, but she wanted to cry. Not of happiness, sadness, fear, but just . . . cry. It was weird. Scrunching up her face (slightly, so as to avoid being teased by the women again) she decided she didn't like that feeling and would rather be rid of it.

"Zim is going to die when she sees you," The woman assured her.

Gaz decided she _did_ look rather nice. Though she eyed herself without emotion, impassive. If the veil was removed, it would reveal her hair, glistening to perfection. Her face had been carefully done up, making her eyes look fiery without her having to be angry and her mouth seem delicate but tempting all at the same time. At least, the tempting part came as a joke from one of the women but Gaz had no doubt she was serious.

The wedding dress itself was strapless, cinching to her waist and breasts. It hugged her hips and flowed gently, serenely to the floor. It was a mermaid gown she noticed. Gaz had really just picked at random, though she would never tell anyone. Maybe Zim, eventually, but for now not a soul would know. When she had appeared to be scrutinizing the drawings she'd just been counting in her head, picking the one that was the thirteenth, going back and forth. But it seemed luck was on her side, as she looked fine. The train was long but not too long. Not to the point where it would annoy her.

However, it seemed Zim had added a bit of input into the dress. Gaz had noticed yesterday the red ribbon that tied around her waist, tied at her right hip and descending until it was about a foot off the ground. There was also intricate red beading around the bottom of the dress and the corset. Overall, Gaz looked ready to kill and get married at the same time. Her nails were re-painted, clear this time.

The _underwear_ part was what was bothering her.

The women had insisted that it was traditional for a bride to dress rather sexually on her wedding night. Gaz had the garter in place on her upper thigh, also a piece of clothing (if a laced rubber band could be calling 'clothing') she wasn't particularly happy with. But the lingerie. Yes, that was the worst part. All of it was white, which Gaz thought was ironic, because white normally represent innocence, something of hers she'd be losing today. Making it was symbolic, because when he was _taking it off, _the white 'innocence' would be removed at the same time she was-!

Gaz was going to stop thinking now. Yup. That was what she was going to do now, just _stop_. Thinking.

"Are you ready, dear?"

No.

"Yes."

* * *

Zim was wearing a suit, as was custom. A black one, with a pristine white shirt underneath and a blood red tie. To say he was working now would seem to be something that was completely ridiculous, since it was his wedding day, but he was, so that he could have the rest of today and tomorrow off. Of the few countries he had already taken over, their representatives had nervously wished him a happy wedding today, and good luck to his bride. Zim was typing away when Gir entered the room, fiddling with the bow on his neck.

He didn't even have to turn around to know what he was doing.

"Gir, stop trying to eat your bow-tie."

"Aw," he said, disappointed. Gir was dressed in a tuxedo, a fact he knew Gaz would laugh at. Behind him was Minnie-Moose, who also was dressed in similar attire to Gir's. Everyone but Zim had bow-ties.

There was a pause.

"You can't eat his either." Zim said, still not turning around.

Once again Gir gave a dejected noise. Then he said, "Master, shouldn't you be waiting wiff da minister at the altar?"

Zim nodded, standing up. "Yes, I've just finished. Let's g-."

He was interrupted by a beeping on his systems and all three of them stopped, turning to look at the blip.

Zim's brow rose. "Intriguing."

Gir looked up at him. "Watcha gonna do, Mastah?"

After a brief pause, Zim turned away. "Nothing. It's not going to change anything. Just a bump that will smooth over on its own."

His minions shared a look before Gir just shouted, "Okay!"

They followed him out obediently.

* * *

Gaz's veil was over her head, hiding her face, which let her think properly and without fear of being teased or scolded for her thoughts. Why was she so uneasy about this? As big of an idiot as he was, Gaz loved Zim and had no reserves about spending the rest of her life with him (as annoyingly cheesy as that sounded to her). Maybe the sex part would be a little nerve-wracking but she wasn't fidgeting because of that. She knew it would be fine. And as odd as it sounded from someone as boisterous and arrogant as Zim, he would be careful with her.

So then, looking at Gir (who was to play the part of the flower girl, something she found extremely amusing; Gir was technically not a boy and so he could do whatever part he wanted, despite the tux he wore while doing so) and Minnie-Moose (who held a pillow with the rings on his head), and everyone else behind the doors that would lead to her future (Geez, did weddings just _require_ touchy-feely annoying, cliché little sayings to pop up in the bride's head?) with her, Gaz couldn't place what was wrong. But she just knew it was something. Something was . . . missing?

What the hell could be missing?

"Ahem, Empress?" Skoodge's nervous voice (nervous from addressing her directly) said. "E-Emperor Zim has a gift for you, something he wanted you to see _before_ the ceremony."

Gaz turned around, confused. "What is it?"

"This way, please," He requested, motioning towards the back doors.

Raising a brow, Gaz followed.

When she entered she nearly dropped the bouquet, eyes staring wide.

"**_Dad_**?"

"Hello, daughter!" Dr. Membrane said, in a suit, the collar popped so it covered his mouth, and his goggles still on his face. But she could see his eyes widening as he gazed at her, her hand moving to pull back her veil. "You . . . You look so _beautiful_!"

Gaz had been hearing that a lot lately. But from her dad, it felt . . . okay.

She took the few steps forward to embrace him, a hug that he gladly returned. "Dad . . . How did you get here?"

"Dib's little fo- . . . _Zim_ came and got me." He said, correcting himself. "I must admit, he has very unique resources. I and the rest of my colleagues had been hidden away underground, in East Asia, and he still found me. He told me you two were getting married and asked me to come, for your sake. So I did, since I couldn't very well miss my own daughter's wedding."

Gaz's brow rose. "So he didn't kidnap you then?"

"What? Of course not! It was my choice entirely!" He said, confused. "Why would you think that?"

_Because everyone else here is either from another planet or kidnapped_, she thought with a smirk. "No reason, Dad, just . . . wondering how you got here is all. My god, Dad, I didn't expect you to be here at all."

"Someone needed to be there for you, especially after you gave yourself up for your country." He sighed. "I only wish your brother could be here to see you get married. I always knew you would marry Zim, and I still bear no ill burden against him, I've come to realize he is just doing his job and it's all for the best in the end, but I had hoped he and your brother would've reconciled by now."

"But we started a rebellion instead," Gaz murmured to the floor. Was all of this her fault then? Was she just the reason Earth was going to Hell and Dib couldn't come to her wedding? Well, if she didn't exist, he still wouldn't go to her wedding but still.

Dr. Membrane placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do not think that way, Gaz. I can see it in your eyes."

Gaz suddenly guessed why her father wore his goggles, looking up at him.

Unreadable.

"You deserve affection, even if it _is_ coming from an alien." He added the last part with slight bitterness. The admittance his son wasn't crazy, he had just been too thick headed to see the truth. He gripped her shoulders, seriously. "Daughter . . . _Gaz_ . . . You _are_ happy with him, right? This isn't something that he is forcing upon you because he needs a human Empress for appearance and is using you for convenience?"

"No, Dad," she insisted, stunned at the fantasy he had cooked up. "No Zim and I . . . we work, okay?"

"But do you love him?"

Since when had he gotten so mushy?

"Yes," Gaz said. It was just the easiest thing to do. "Yeah, I do."

"Then I'm okay with this," Dr. Membrane replied, hooking his arm through her daughter's. "Now come, I'm going to walk you down the aisle."

"Nice bow tie," she commented sarcastically, noticing that it matched all the other red ones.

Dr. Membrane laughed. "I think it looks great on me."

"You keep telling yourself that, Dad," she teased. It was probably the last time she was going to see him. She might as well be as out-of-character nice as she could be to him, while she could.

They went back into the room and Skoodge saw them, and then darted into the other room. He returned a few minutes later, Dr. Membrane fixing Gaz's veil back over her face.

Then the music started and everyone got into a straight line. Her manicured nails dug into the bouquet in her hands and she felt the juice of the fresh flowers dampen the pads of her fingers slightly, making her loosen her grip, for fear of staining the damned thing.

The 'bridesmaids', women Gaz had known for all of about two days, walked forward first, Invader Skoodge being one of three males in the procession. From what he had told Gaz, he was the Best Man. Very slowly, everyone began walking ahead of her. There were a few people Zim had kidnapped, like the person who made the cake and what not, sitting in the aisles. She could see them, but she could not see Zim.

Stupid angle that kept them from seeing one another.

Gaz had to keep from laughing as she saw through her shroud Gir, skipping merrily down the white aisle, throwing red rose petals in the air. But it was a rather big basket, and Gaz wondered what would happen if he didn't finish. Most likely he'd dump them on the floor. But, thanks to his excited aura, by the time he got to the end he had run out completely. Minnie-Moose drifted behind him, making no noises.

"This is certainly an . . . _interesting_ wedding," Dr. Membrane commented. But Gaz could hear the amusement in his voice. Gaz snickered, but otherwise she did not reply.

And then the wedding march started.

Gaz swallowed hard, once again digging her nails into her bouquet for a moment. She took a deep breath, wondering what the hell exactly she was getting herself into. Her and her father stepped forward and with another step, they were instantly thrown into the ceremony.

She found herself unable to look straight ahead, where Zim was doubtless staring right at her. Her eyes first roamed to the people in attendance, but since none of them were familiar faces, they didn't have any interest for her. Her arm tightened on her father's, a reaction to her nerves that Zim would doubtless see and be pleased with himself for thinking to fetch her father. She wondered when this had happened and then realized it had probably been why he had left so early last night, instead of milking his time with her until the last possible minute.

"Idiot," she muttered, so quietly not even Dr. Membrane could hear her.

And then finally, Gaz took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to look up.

Instantly she locked eyes with Zim, whose antennae was twitching. But upon meeting her eyes he stopped, staring completely dumbstruck at her. His eyes were wide and she half-expected his mouth to drop at any moment. She could tell by that slight twitch that he was irritated by the veil hampering his vision on her face. He wanted to just see it, to have this all over with and be able to call her his wife.

But she smirked at him, a face that clearly said, '_You_ were the one who wanted this!' By his slight smirk of amusement she knew that even through the veil he had been able to pick _that_ up.

They reached the end of the aisle.

Dr. Membrane stopped in between the two, as was tradition, taking Gaz's hand and linking it with Zim's own. Then he stepped back and Gaz wasn't quite sure whether he went to stand behind Zim or take a seat, because she was only reading Zim's face and he was smiling at her as she stepped in front of him, their hands joined as she handed her bouquet to one of her bridesmaids. Gaz wondered what the purpose of a bouquet was. You only held it for like, a minute, tops, depending on how long the aisle was.

Maybe it was just so you had something you could throw it at people.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony."

She wanted to laugh and by the twitch on the side of Zim's mouth, he did too. True, he was a loose interpretation of a man but he did have the parts that counted as male on Earth.

Gaz wasn't particularly listening to anything the priest was saying. She was pretty sure Zim was half listening, but they were paying more attention to each other then anything else. And not in the cliche way either. They were silently communicating, Zim reading Gaz's face and vise versa. She wished she could kiss him, just to screw with him, but she couldn't.

That would be against ceremony.

She tuned back in when the minister said, "We will start the vows now."

Zim's thumb ran across her hand, softly, turning his attention to her fully.

"Do you, Zim, take Gaz to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Do you, Gaz, take Zim to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Who here has the rings?"

"Squeak!" Minnie-Moose said at once, floating over.

Zim took Gaz's (earlier today, as he'd requested, she'd put her old ring in a box in favor of the more traditional ring) new ring and she took his. Obediently Minnie-Moose floated back to his place, which was next to Gir. Both the little minions looked adoringly up at their Master and new Mistress. Even if Gaz had always been their Mistress, now it would be official! In Earth with the wedding and in the eyes of the Irken society later. Although, when Gir had asked about that, Zim had informed him that it was not something to be discussed and the subject had been dropped.

"With this ring, I pledge my love to you and offer this as the symbol of our eternal bond," Zim said, slipping the ring on her finger. She could hear the slight amusement in his voice and knew full well just how strange he thought this was. Again, Gaz shot him a look of accusation, saying nothing.

Gaz took his ring, slipping it over his gloved finger. She sighed, almost inaudibly, but the twich of Zim's antennae and the smirk let her know that he alone had heard her.

"With this ring," she repeated. "I pledge my love to you and offer this as the symbol of our eternal bond."

* * *

Dib wore all black.

Just like everyone else.

_"When I hook MiMi up to these systems, we have thirty minutes." Tak had warned. "Ten to get in, ten to get out. Meaning ten minutes to actually do what we came here for."_

And now they were here.

Dib and Tak had almost gone solo. Actually, it was a joint decision by the Group. Everyone else was terrified to go into Zim's base, and no one but them had real reason to go anyways. But in the end, the twins had volunteered, and so had Zita. So there they were, a group of five running through Zim's giant base with guns that would probably not help them.

They could hear the wedding.

It scared the hell out of Dib, making them run faster.

They were shocked to see no guards, but Zim's security system kept everyone out. Everyone but Tak, apparently. What would he need guards for when there was no one threatening the owners of the house?

They found the door, leaning up against it.

"Go!" Tak hissed when he hesitated.

Dib took a deep breath and kicked the door in. It only led to a room, the procession room, but through the open double doors he could see the wedding room that had gone quiet.

The five of them burst in, all aiming their weapons.

"Nobody move!" Zita ordered.

Dib was shocked to see a certain guest. His brow rose, "**_DAD_**?"

He waved, "Hello, son! Nice of you to join us! Who are your friends?"

He could've palm-faced. How was his dad so smart but still so stupid and ignorant?

"Dib," A voice breathed.

Dib turned his attention to her as his stomach dropped.

There they were. The bride and groom. Gaz looked beautiful, this he noted at once. If this had been a wedding he approved of, he'd doubtless be tearing up like a wimp. But Zim beside her, in his red tie and dressed up like a groom, only fueled the anger in his chest.

"Zim," Dib growled, pointing the weapon at him.

"Dib," Zim replied, calmly, seeming unfazed that a weapon was being pointed at him by someone who would like nothing more than to kill him. "What is it I can do for you today?"

"Take your sister and go, Dib." Tak said, stepping forward with a smirk. "Let_ me_ play with Zim."

"Then what the hell are we here for?" Zita hissed at her.

Tak scoffed. "Intervention control."

"Civilian duty," Tip and Tine translated.

Zim uneasily looked at Tak, clearly not recognizing who this girl was. "Eh, does Zim know you?"

"You should," Tak replied, stepping forward, her eyes narrowing. "You ruined**_ my life_**! Twice now, actually."

Gaz's eyes shot open. "You're the maid!"

"My identity has returned." She looked at Zim and let her accent slip out. "Care to guess who I am _now_, Zim?"

His eyes shot open and then he pressed Gaz behind him, protectively. "**_Tak_**!"

"There's a boy," She mocked. "Now let your little _sahlm*_ or wife or whatever you want to call her talk to her brother a moment. You and I have more important things to discuss!"

Zim's hands gripped Gaz behind him, protectively a moment, before backing away from her.

"Gaz," he said quietly. "Go with your brother."

"I'm not-!"

"I'm not letting you get hurt!" Zim hissed, still loud enough for only her to hear. "Go!"

Gaz backed off, taking a few steps back before looking at Dib and heading out the door.

"Gir," Zim ordered as the SIR unit came to stand beside him. "_Watch_ her. Make sure that the Dib-monkey does nothing to hurt her. The second that he does, get her somewhere safe and '_escort'_ him out of our home. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Gir's eyes glowed red, darting off after where Gaz had disappeared to, outside the door. Dib, too, followed.

Gaz waited patiently, her hands shaking, her whole body shaking really. Gir approached her, staring up at her wide cerulean eyes. Instinctively she picked him up, holding him as he held her. Gaz had never thought Dib would go so far as to ruin her wedding to keep her from Zim.

She was going to kill him.

But she knew she would never be able to like this.

"Gaz!" Dib shouted, bursting out the doors.

The sound of fighting was heard briefly but Gaz could only guess who it was. Most likely Zim and Tak. Maybe her father and a few civilians had tried to help but who knew. Who _cared_? Certainly Dib didn't or he wouldn't be here.

She didn't look at him, just out the window, never removing her veil. Her voice was cold. "Dib."

He sounded surprised at her icy attitude. "Gaz? What's wrong? I came to save you-!"

"Go home, Dib." Gaz's eyes shut tight, opening when Gir reached up to touch her face, concern in his eyes. Funny when a robot seemed to care and know more about her then her brother did. "I don't want to be saved."

"Y-You don't mean that! Zim has some sort of mind-control device in your-!"

She spun around, feeling his hand on her shoulder, and slapped him. But not only did she slap him, no, that wouldn't be enough. She _burned_ him, her hand flashing with fire as she hit him. It wasn't enough to set him ablaze but certainly enough to leave a scar and pain that would last.

"E_nough_," she growled, putting Gir down. "You don't get it, Dib! No matter what I say, Zim can't be good to you! But he's good enough for _me_, Dib. Don't you get it? This was _never_. About. _You_! The only reason you're still here, putting people in danger, ruining this stupid wedding I never wanted but it was something Zim wanted so I agreed to it, is so that you can say you won! But you know what Dib? You can't win because there isn't a prize here!"

"Gaz-."

"Zim took over the world, Dib. And all that's happened is that nothing has been on the news but him. No murders, no chaos or terrorist attacks, no gang fights, nothing. Did you eve think that this might be for the _better_?"

Dib stared at her in disbelief. This . . . _fire_ was something that could not be mimicked. This was Gaz.

And she didn't want to be saved.

She sighed, looking down at Gir again. "Go home, Dib."

"What home?" He grumbled, leaning against the wall and sighing. "I can't . . . I don't know what to do anymore, Gaz. You're gone, Dad's gone."

"Home, the place we grew up." Gaz replied, adjusting Gir in her arms. "Dad's leaving after the wedding. He'll go home, Dib. I'll make sure he will."

"Why is it so important to go home?" Dib questioned, a brow rising suspiciously. "What's home that you want me to see?"

Gaz sighed. "Just . . . Check my room, okay? That's all."

"You know that he's just using you?" Dib asked, when she shot him a death-glare he held up his hands. "Hear me out, Gaz! Tak told me about what it means to an Irken once they've . . . ugh, _mated_ with someone. One of the parties assumes dominance over the other."

"Meaning?"

"_Ownership_, Gaz." Dib insisted, locking eyes with her. "That's all Zim ever wanted was to own you, make you another possession he could show off to his other alien friends. Do you really want that, to be only something flaunted and never loved?"

Gaz's hand twitched, the urge to hit him again overwhelming but she resisted. She could see the black mark already forming on his face. It would probably last a while. That both satisfied her and made her stomach twist with guilt.

"He loves me, Dib." She insisted, sternly, in a way that left no room for argument. "Whether you believe it or not, he loves me. Now get the hell out of here, before I set Gir on you."

Dib looked at her face, through the veil, twisted with pain. "Gaz . . . I wanted to be here at your wedding but . . ."

Her anger cracked and after a few moments, she sighed, losing her former fury. "I know."

He looked as depressed as she felt. "Am I ever going to see you again?"

"Probably," she mumbled, shaking her head as she sighed again. "I don't know. That all depends on what you do after this, really."

There was silence.

"The last time I'm probably going to see you for a while," Dib suddenly said, looking up from the floor with weak amusement. "And we're fighting."

"Yeah," Her laugh was filled with the bitter tinge of irony. She jerked her chin towards his face, where the red mark was. "Sorry about that, I guess . . . But you kind of deserved it."

"Gee, thanks," He retorted sarcastically, smiling at her just a little. "You really do look nice, by the way."

"Funny, you'd think it'd get less irritating the more you heard it." Gaz muttered, eyes narrowing and mouth contorting into a frown.

"Gaz . . . You're going to get hurt."

Her hands curled into fists. She wasn't going to let him ruin this parting moment for her. Dib saw her irritation at once, bracing himself for another blow.

"Just go, Dib." She hissed, and he could hear her voice crack. "_Now_."

He stumbled away at the command, back into the room. She went to the window, looking out at the courtyard and saw a car, parked in it. A few minutes later the party of five appeared, though one of them was stumbling weakly. Probably Tak. She doubted Zim had gone easy on her, especially since she had interrupted his wedding.

"He knew, didn't he, Gir?" She questioned, still holding him in her arms. "Zim knew they were coming."

Gir nodded. "He let them come. Master saw the security breach but he didn't reverse it. I think he hoped you'd reconcile."

Gaz sighed. "Let's go back inside, Gir." She half-smiled, stroking his head. "The wedding can't exactly start without us."

* * *

Things carried on, liking nothing had happened.

Twenty minutes later-.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Zim removed her veil, revealing her face that stared up at him with wide, perfect, intensely appealing eyes.

He smiled at her before planting a solid kiss to her mouth.

People cheered. Gir screamed his cheer at the top of his lungs, drowning out everyone else. Gaz melted into his kiss, letting herself forget how fucked up her life was and just letting him embrace her.

In that moment, she finally felt loved.

* * *

Sex. In. Next. Chapter.

Why?

Because this one is so. FUCKING. LONG.

Okay the words "fucking" and "long"; not something to be used when you've just mentioned sex.

Yes, I know.

I'm hilarious.

Wait with anticipation and try to keep from dying with anticipation till the next chapter!

God.

Me writing porn.

Be afraid.

Originally Gaz was much crueler then that, but she's been kind of a bitch to Dib and I wanted to let everyone know he wasn't just a pawn to her. Gaz is keeping Dib distant to keep him SAFE.

**Daily Quote:  
"My requirements for men are they must be swift as the coarsing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, all the strength of a raging fire and mysterious as the dark side of the moon."  
". . . Eharmony . . ."**  
**"Oh my god, I love you guys. You're so stupid."**

**-Mulan is the bomb. And apparently my friends have taken advice from the movies and used it for the modern world. It was me that called them stupid, affectionately of course. There were four of us there.**

**Best slumber-party/after-party ever.**

Till then!


	22. The Honeymoon

Mr. Mookenstein

Chapter 21

didn't gaz burn down their old home..she said she did?

**No. She planned on it, but if anyone's noticed, she hasn't gotten around to it yet.**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 21

I am afraid. I'm so fucking afraid I think I'll just close my eyes and say, "I'm not lookin' I'm not lookin'" As I skip past the naughty bits.

**I know how you feel. Hmm . . . Lemme see what I can do for ya!**

ngrey651

Chapter 21

Poor Dib. He's lost her...it's so...tragic.  
Gaz, I don't deny Zim loves you. But it wasn't his choice to make to take over the world. It wasn't his right. He has a right to your love, but not to take over the world any more than you have the right to demand things from everyone around you. The right thing to do would be to give yourself up.

**O.o**

**I'm confused. Give herself up to whom?**

fairychix26

Chapter 21

Dib is a jerk. AWWW Zim asked her dad to come soooo cute! hey is there anyway you will tell us what happened between Tak and Zim while Gaz was talking to Dib? oh and her dress sounds so pretty in the distant future (because i am only 16 and don't even have a boyfriend) would you mind if i used this decriptioon for my wedding gown except i will use purple insted of red.  
well thats it till next time  
Luv,  
Fairy Girl

**Sorry, too lazy. But you'll get the gist of it next chapter.**

**And I actually DID steal the design from a pic I googled. If you look up "red wedding dress" you'll probably see what I'm talking about; mermaid dress, red corset I think, white at the bottom. I changed a few things but still, if you find the right pic, you'll get the general idea.**

xoAmaxi

Chapter 21

I FORGOT TO COMMENT ON SOMETHING IN THE LAST CHAPTER;  
I love the way Gir is a stand-in for Zim/Gaz's "child".  
It's so cute c:  
AND, ABOUT THIS CHAPTER;  
I loved this wedding! Even though it was crashed, it was awesome! Traditional but so Invader Zim-like. The image of the minions wearing bowties.. PRICELESS. LOL. And such great detail on Gaz's dress, it sounds beautiful.  
Thankyou for another brilliant chapter..  
Now.. THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.  
*waits impatiently for chapter 22 ;D*

**Oh god. XD Don't get too exicted yet. I have a feeling you'll all be disappointed with this. XD**

**And with Gir (Oh lovable Gir) it just made sense to me.**

God.

Please don't hate me if this is horrible, I am MORTIFIED right now.

Seriously, I is frightened right now.

**TO ALL OF YOU WHO DON'T WANT TO READ THE SEX; (cheddarbiscuit; I'm mainly calling you out, but you'll thank me) Once you see that 2 stars (**), stop reading. The rest is sex and adds little to no plot besides the fact they are now "official".**

Also, 200 reviews now (and I will have you all know I've read every one of them)! Woo! You guys, I cannot express my love for you at this moment.

So try to enjoy Zim and Gaz's, if you can. -_- (runs off to a corner and gags)

* * *

**Chapter 22  
"The Honeymoon"**

Gaz was numb throughout the reception.

She was fidgeting by the time their "guests" left. And Gaz had ordered her father to return home, hoping Dib had listened to her for once.

She and Zim had actually gone out onto the large balcony of the fortress, one she hadn't known about, to address the public. To say she was stunned by the amount of people that had showed up would be an understatement. There were so many people, cheering too not even booing, as the bride and groom appeared.

Zim had been the one to speak, and she hadn't been listening to a word of what Zim said, too deaf by the buzz of the people around her to really pay attention. Gaz had only been aware when he gestured to her, referring to her as "Empress Gaz Membrane" and all the crowd was in an uproar. She blushed furiously, shooting Zim a look. He had only laughed, holding her to him by her waist.

"Stop being so anxious," he insisted, away from the microphone. Grinning mischievously he growled in her ear. "You'll waste your energy and you'll need it later, if Zim has anything to say about it."

If possible her cheeks darkened further. He was such an asshole, embarrassing her in front of the whole world like this! But he was just feeding the image of her innocence.

Something he was desperate to take by now.

The sun was setting by the time Zim finished addressing the public. Zim saluted, Skoodge by his side but having not spoken, did the same. Even Gir was there, in her arms by the end of the conference. Gaz nodded her head politely as the entourage turned and left.

"Gir, Minnie-Moose," Zim said severely. He eyed all of them, seriously. "Stay with Skoodge tonight. None of you are to go to the East Wing until you are told otherwise, understood?"

"Okay!" Gir said, already sitting on Skoodge's head. It seemed that he had been forgiven by how relaxed he was.

Skoodge shifted uncomfortably, the only one of the three that had any idea why they weren't allowed to bother Zim and Gaz tonight. He quickly took his superior's two minions, hurrying them off.

"Wanna watch a movie tonight, guys?"

"PIGGY-PARTY!"

"Squeak!"

"NO, we watched that _last_ _time_, Minnie-Moose!"

Gaz watched them, amused as Zim turned her around, leading her, both of them laughing, by the small of her back. By the time she reached their room, yes, _their_ room after tonight, she could feel the nerves crawling across Zim's skin.

Zim shut the door behind him, turning to face her seriously, holding her around the waist.

"Gaz," he said, gently. "You don't . . . If you're nervous, we don't have to-!"

"Zim," she murmured, looking up at him. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

She kissed him.

That was enough of a response.

**(**)**Zim's hands went to her sides, to her back. At first it was just the usual stuff, hands running up and down her sides, the tongue thing. Gaz was waiting for him to continue.

It came in the form of groping.

His hand trailed down her back and to her backside, remaining there. This was one of his bolder moves but also something that had happened before. At first she felt completely relaxed, almost bored really. She had expected more, especially from how much he'd been teasing her.

And then his hand squeezed her, _hard_ and she jumped, squeaking in surprise.

Zim's eyes shot to her face but no apprehension was there. None at all, actually, just surprise. He felt himself stiffen slightly, _down there_. It was because he wasn't controlling it now; he had no reason to. Zim released a predatory growl at her innocent expression, unsure why that was so appealing to him but he just couldn't help it. She was about to be his, officially, in Irken society, not just human.

She was his _wife_.

Gaz wrapped her arms around him, groaning into his mouth. She felt the shivers that ran down his spine, painfully aware how turned on he was by her very presence. Her tactics were unnecessary. Zim could get off just by holding her. Instinctively her hands trailed from his neck, onto the buttons of his jacket. Zim felt her undoing them one by one, slowly, making _him_ groan this time. His hands moved temporarily from his body as he discarded the annoying piece of clothing, flinging it away.

It was then Gaz noticed something alarming.

"Where's your PAK?" She demanded, staring in surprise, pulling away from the kiss.

Zim chuckled, his mouth doing strange things to her ear as he spoke into it. "It's temporarily dissolved into my skin, a function all PAK's develop when they choose to pick up a _sahlm_. It makes the act of mating easier but it's only temporary and takes some recharging afterwards."

Gaz tried to form coherent thought as Zim growled again, nipping her earlobe and tugging on it. It sounded like such a weird thing to do but maybe for someone who didn't have ears, they were a curiosity. "You didn't have to-."

"Enough speak," Zim interrupted, hands trailing to the back of her dress, where the strings were, that had taken a while to tie up. "It's pointless."

"That's going to take a while," she informed him, jerking her chin to the lace. "That took like, twenty minutes."

"I very much like that dress on you," Zim informed her smugly, as if he knew something she did not. She felt his hands trailing across her back, to the very bottom of the lace. "However, I think I'd like it more if you were _out_ of it."

With a tug, the lace came right out.

"How _the hell_ did you do that?" Gaz demanded, irritated and stunned. The only thing holding the dress up now was how tightly he was holding her against him.

Or at least, that's what he thought.

"A secret you will never know," he insisted, still smug. "Now, _may I_?"

"Such a gentleman," she said sarcastically, stepping away from him. "However, you forgot about the zipper."

"Zipper?" His brow rose. "Who has a zipper _and_ lace ties?"

"I do," she replied, turning her back on him. "Close the screen door while I do this."

Zim sighed and headed over, shutting the door and leaving them in a comfortable glow of moonlight, without the breeze. Gaz had forgotten to close it this morning, when she'd been airing out after the nail-polish smell and the perfume had begun to overwhelm her. At the time she had needed the fresh air but now? Not so much.

"You are such a tease," Zim hissed, turning around.

And that was when he saw Gaz, slowly pulling the zipper down her back. Zim's eyes practically bugged out of his head, his lips parting, as if they wanted to speak but he didn't know what to say.

Well, at least he knew the reason for the zipper.

Finally it fell, and Gaz turned, stepping out of the crumpled cloth and her heels as she placed a hand on her hip expectantly.

"No," she corrected, smugly, oblivious to his ogling as she picked up the dress, tossing it into the closet. "_That_ was being a tease. Telling you to close the door was simply a reasonable suggest-."

But Zim was upon her then, hands roaming on her bare thighs. She wore a corset-top piece of lingerie and white lacy underwear. She felt his hands roaming her new, exposed skin, touching all of the places he had never seen before. Gaz smirked, mouth moving to his neck as her leg hitched up against his hip. Zim gripped her backside firmly in both hands, tongue tickling her ear again, making her squirm. She was surprised to find how relaxed the two of them were, like they'd done this before.

Gaz felt exposed then. Zim was still technically fully dressed, and she was in her underwear. So her lithe hands made quick work of his shirt, not quite wanting to get to his pants yet. Realizing her intentions, Zim removed his arms for a split second, ditching the shirt and resting his forehead against hers so she could examine him. It was only fair, since he had done the same to her.

It was immediately decided that Gaz enjoyed Zim shirtless. He wasn't bulky-muscle-built but he_ did_ have muscles. He had a lean form, no belly-button or nipples, but there _were_ pecks. She ran her hand over his smooth skin, slowly up and down his chest.

"Do you approve?" He asked, teasingly, but seriously. "Do you like what you see?"

Gaz smirked, reassuringly, touching his face. "Yes. And what about you?"

Zim growled seductively, running his hand over the bare skin of her thigh. "Must you honestly ask?"

"Of course." Then her brows furrowed, catching his hand. "Are the gloves necessary? I'm sure your hands aren't _that_ grotesque."

He smirked at her joke, releasing her and holding up one hand, the other tugging on it. "No, but they _are_ considered rather weak."

Her brow rose. "What do you mean 'weak'? They work fine from what I felt."

Zim seemed pleased with her answer, tugging off the glove. It was just a normal hand. Well, as normal as a green, alien hand could be. "They're too soft, see?"

Gaz snorted. "Hardly weak."

"You are speaking to a planet about war. Soft is practically the definition of weak."

Gaz took his hand, intertwining their fingers. He was right, his hands _were_ soft. But they weren't _obscenely_ so, like baby soft, just smoother then the rest of his skin. She kissed his fingers, once, gently.

"They're _fine_," she insisted, before looking back at him.

Her mouth collided with his once again. Gaz straddled him, both of them still standing, and he held her against him easily. Gaz suddenly felt herself pinned but this time, not against a wall. Her eyes shot open as she realized how soft the texture was beneath her skin, with Zim's knees on either side of her hips and his arms straight, looking down at her as he gauged her expression.

Gaz was on the bed now.

"Still alright?" Zim asked her, warily, upon seeing her surprise.

Gaz nodded, shifting to make herself more comfortable. "Fine."

"Good."

Zim unzipped his pants then, removing them himself. They were dress pants, not his standard Invader pants, like she'd expected. She eyed this as he sat back on his legs, kneeling on the bed. He let his legs dangle over the bed, pulling them off in a smooth movement. Everything about him tonight was particularly smooth, like he'd practiced. With a smirk, she wondered if he had. Honestly, she wouldn't have put it past him.

Gaz smirked further at his boxers. She had figured he would be that kind of guy, if he'd ever had to choose. They were red and she could see the makings of a bulge in his pants.

She had sat up as he got back on the bed, over her once more, his face inches from hers as he smirked.

"Enjoying that part as well?" He said, referring to her looking _down there_.

Gaz snickered. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes. Yes, I would." Zim replied plainly. "So I'll just have to see how you react to what I do and come to my own conclusions."

"You make it sound so scientific."

"Isn't it?"

Before Gaz could retort, he was upon her, grinding himself against her harshly. She groaned into his shoulder, nails digging into his back a little. Without the protection of his clothes, it almost hurt, but not really. However it was far more erotic when he was nearly naked and Zim hissed into her mouth. Gaz shuddered at the weird feeling but she stood by the fact it was _definitely_ not unpleasant.

His eyes went to her corset, feeling like she had cheated by wearing it. Normally she wore a bra, that would expose more but _no_, tonight she had to wear a corset. Even when she was giving herself to him she still withheld pieces of herself the whole time. Zim knew she had set herself up to where she couldn't be taken entirely until they were both naked.

A situation he was happy to apply to them.

Zim's hands went under her back as he continued to relentlessly grind against her, shooting heat in between Gaz's legs. She arched her back into him, unaware that she had made Zim's task easier. It wasn't until she felt the release on her back and heard the click did they both freeze, like they had just heard a gun go off.

And then Gaz sat up more, assisting him with an unreadable expression. Zim got the other two hooks off easily enough with her help until she was freed of its binds. Then slowly, as if afraid to, Zim removed her corset, tossing it aside and eying her. Once again he stared.

"Indulging?"

"It's unfair for someone to be as perfect as you," Zim informed her, looking up from her porcelain body to her face. He could find no flaw and it was almost irritating but he was far too in love with her to wish any imperfection on her.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"You're very appealing," Zim said slowly, breathing in her air as he pressed her bare chest against his own. "Incredibly so. I've no idea how I contained myself up until now when I was constantly around a creature such as yourself, with constant access between your legs."

To demonstrate his claim, Zim's hand slid up her inner thigh, making her shiver. But he wasn't done talking yet, hardly. She could see it in his eyes that he had something he wanted to say, something that would, doubtless, make her uncomfortable or blush. It was easy to tell, with that smirk on his lips and that twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Do you know what you are to Zim?" He breathed in her ear, grinding his hips against hers, once.

She shivered. "No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"You are tempting," he growled, that hand cupping her crotch and making her squeak. He chuckled, nuzzling her ear. "And seductive. And _sexy_."

He hissed the last word, making her shiver again as his mouth once again entertained itself with her ear. She had been expecting 'sexy' to come along eventually but despite her attempt to steel herself, her cheeks still flushed crimson. Zim pulled back a bit, pleased to see her reaction and chuckled. She kissed him, a quick but tender peck for his words. Zim refused to let her pull away once her mouth had connected with his though, locking his tongue around hers and pulling her back to him.

Gaz could very clearly feel his bulge in between her legs, through their underwear. Zim's hand roamed her near naked body feverishly, memorizing every curve and moaning at every reaction she gave to his touch. Zim had imagined this before, he'd admit. What else was there to do at night but think about the female asleep in your arms? But in all his fantasies he had never imagined it would be quite this erotic.

And they hadn't even really done anything yet!

Gaz's eyes opened as she kissed him, eyes flicking up to Zim's antennae curiously. Zim had warned her not to handle them roughly because he wouldn't be able to control himself. But he didn't need to control himself right now though, so . . .

Her hand trailed up his neck, slowly up towards his head. At once Zim growled, beginning to pull away as he predicted her moves. But Gaz locked her legs around him, moaning into his mouth. And Zim could not resist that, but he reached up, trying to remove her hand.

However, he wasn't quick enough before Gaz tugged.

And then things _really_ started moving.

Zim's hands shot to her panty-line, wrapping a finger around the strap and tugging it downwards as the other went into her hair. He ground against her, pressing her lithe body into the bed below them. She let out a gasp of surprise, legs loosening around his hips as her body momentarily went weak from the waist down. That heat between her legs was insatiable, demanding attention.

Seeming to notice this, Zim was only too happy to pay tribute to that formerly forbidden region of her body.

One hand lifted her off the bed, gently, making her arch into him. The other, the one already hooked around her underwear, pulled them slowly down, off of her legs. But then he obviously got frustrated as he placed her back down, gripping the sides of the cloth getting in his way, and tore it free with his talons. Gaz's brow rose at his aggressive action but she _had_ pulled on his antennae. Who knew what he was going to do now?

But that hardly mattered as Zim's eyes roamed her body, pulling away, and Gaz realized she was completely naked in front of him. Against her will her cheeks flushed again, embarrassment washing over her slightly. Zim noticed and his aggressive gaze softened, one hand reaching up to stroke her face gently.

"Don't be shy," he whispered, smiling at her. "You are beautiful, remember?"

At first Gaz still didn't say anything, just smiled back at him. Then, she said quietly, "Thank you."

"I am the one who should be grateful," Zim corrected, his hand trailing down the curve of her breast, down the side of her waist before finally resting on her hip. "You give yourself to me and all I can offer is this pitiful planet."

"And you," She added, smirking at the insult. "I like _you_."

"I love _you_," He retorted, cupping her face and leaning in rather close.

Gaz rolled her eyes, still pleased though. "I love you too."

Triumph filled his face, amusing Gaz all the more.

Then a touch of seriousness filtered into his expression. "Will you give yourself to me now?"

Gaz's eyes widened, surprised that he would ask her. Zim was weird but this was more endearing then odd. She wasn't sure what words to say so she just nodded for a response, relaxing into the bed.

She couldn't help but be curious and watch as Zim removed his red boxers, the bulge rather pronounced now. Zim watched her while she watched his hands hook around the elastic band, sliding them downwards and kicking them off.

And then they were both naked.

Gaz felt anticipation and slight fear shoot through her veins as she eyed him.

He was probably a little more than the average size of males, she guessed. Gaz had never been concerned about what 'average size' was, and Zim had probably never been filled in on it during any talks with his father. The weird thing she guessed though was that there were strange textures on his penis that she was pretty sure human males did not have.

Zim place himself over her again, apprehension also in his eyes. He ready Gaz's expression as she eyed him and was relieved to find that she didn't seem to be changing her mind. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop himself now, not when he was this hard.

"Are you . . . Are you sure?" He asked her anyways.

Gaz looked up from and nodded, smiling. "Yeah."

He didn't believe her.

So he decided to try a little more foreplay, spreading her legs and smirking. Her brow rose but she didn't say anything, knowing that he was doing _something_ but he would probably not tell her. She'd find out in a second anyways.

Zim angled her hips up, scooting down the bed so his mouth was positioned at her entrance instead.

Gaz's eyes were wide. How did he even_ know_ about that?

"What are you doing?" She demanded, staring at him.

Zim beamed at her triumphantly. "An experiment I learned of in my research."

"What the hell kind of research has you learn about-?"

Gaz cut off with a moan, a noise she felt embarrassed by as Zim slipped his tongue into her. Zim wiggled it, like a snake, and was forced to hold her legs down with his hands as she squirmed. He was delighted by the noises, true, but he was even more pleased by the _taste_. It was a flavor Zim had never even dreamed of, wetting his taste buds as he explored. The whole time Gaz fidgeted, making noises of pleasure she hadn't known she was capable of making. It drove Zim on as he found every crevice he could reach, enjoying her gasp every time he slithered his tongue around.

This went on until Gaz had relaxed considerably more and Zim withdrew his tongue, licking his lips tauntingly, the delicious flavor still on his tongue. He doubted he'd ever taste anything as good again, not until he was tasting her again. Gaz's legs closed together slightly, now that they were free from his restraints.

"Better?" He questioned, eying her smugly.

Gaz was breathing heavily, her chest rising up and down, a sight he found he rather enjoyed. "Y-You're ridiculous."

"I'm _horny_," he corrected, smirking as his hand trailed up her inner thigh once more. "At least, I believe that's the word used."

She laughed, Zim still eying her chest as she did so.

And then she gasped as he grabbed her breasts in his hands, feeling them. His expression was curious and were it not so lustful, it would almost be innocent. He continue to grope and massage her harshly but painlessly. Gaz once again began twitching under his hands, making Zim painfully aware they had other,_ lower_ regions on both of them that needed satisfying.

He placed his hands on her inner thighs, spreading them gently. She hardly reacted, head turning to the side and her eyes closing. Zim lowered himself, so he was directly in front of her entrance. Gaz may not have been frightened, but he certainly was. Zim had done some research and had deduced that the first penetration of a female was often painful. The amount of initial discomfort varied, depending on the female, but still. The thought that she would be in pain, even for a little while, because he wanted to claim her was a frightening thought.

So he kissed her, hoping to distract her while he gently slid himself inside.

He could feel her wall break at the same time Gaz flinched, hissing into his mouth.

At once he froze, not entirely inside of her but terror had stopped him. "Gaz? Are you alright?"

She was blinking rapidly. She could feel a small amount of pain, but it was odd; she had expected more. This felt like a rubber-band had been snapped inside of her, and it stung but it wasn't _so_ bad. It hurt but it wasn't nearly unbearable like she thought it would be. No, what was making her so out of control was trying to come to terms with what was happening. Zim was _inside_ of her.

This was just too weird but in a good way.

"Fine," she replied, in answer to his question. She relaxed her body, that insatiable fire in her legs starting to cool as it realized it was being satisfied.

Zim took this as the 'go ahead' and continued in all the way. Gaz inhaled sharply, adjusting to the feeling as her walls expanded around him. Zim did not move, waiting patiently, but anxiously. He wanted to pound into her, like he'd promised to do in church*, but he would not. Not until she was completely ready and to where she would only be experiencing pleasure, not pain.

So when she finally felt herself relax, and she looked up at Zim expectantly, he was only too pleased to satisfy her. Curious to how she'd react to this, his hands set her hips firmly in place as he began moving in and out, slowly.

Gaz groaned, her hands on his back, "_Zim_."

He nearly paused at that. Gaz had never groaned his name out before, he was sure of it. But, rather liking the way she said it, he smirked. Gaz's eyes flicked open, locking with his.

Zim gave her a cynical grin as he pulled out almost entirely before slamming into her. Gaz cried out in her surprise, but in a good way. But this time she did not say his name and he wanted her to. So he paused, entirely inside of her, and flexed those strange 'textures' Gaz had seen. They felt _perfect_, and it left Gaz moaning again as she pressed her fingers into his back. But still, she did not say his name again.

So, helping out, he leaned down to growl in her ear. "Say it."

Gaz's eyes opened, disoriented. "Say _what_?"

"My name," he growled, seductively, but commandingly. "Say it!"

To help her along, Zim pulled out before slamming into her again.

"Zim!" Gaz cried out, stunned, blinking rapidly. Not only had he hit a particularly sensitive piece of flesh inside of her, but that texture scraping against her insides had felt heavenly, sending shivers down her spine as her breathing quickened.

He growled again, smirking, _really_ liking how she said his name like that. "Say it again."

"What-?"

Zim slammed into her once more.

"_Zim_." She hissed, groaning as her head rolled back.

"Louder." He ordered. He'd been able to hear that last one, but it was more of a turn-on when she shouted it.

Slam.

"Zim!" Gaz shrieked, nails digging into his back now.

But he hardly minded. "_Louder_!"

Slam.

"ZIM!" She finally shouted, loud enough for his satisfaction.

However he could feel his need growing, the need to just relentlessly hammer into her, without waiting for her to say his name every time. He needed the friction, the feel of her walls tightening around him after every thrust. Zim leaned down over her, hands underneath her back as he continued to pound into her, harder each time. Gaz continued to shout his name, pleasing him, motivating him as he went harder and faster with each thrust. Zim couldn't help himself as his nails raked slowly down her back, but he heard no complaint from Gaz.

Gaz was having a hard time containing herself, not that she could. She rested her forehead against Zim's neck, crying out in ecstasy every time he slammed inside of her. His bare, smooth back was filled with her nails indents that never seemed to pierce his skin. Not that she intended to, it was just she just wasn't exactly focusing on keeping herself from hurting him.

Zim was in pure bliss, losing himself in his motions. His red eyes were unfocused; his mouth giving Gaz bites on her neck that would be there to discover when she woke up in the morning. She was his. That was all he could think of as he rode her was that she was his now.

And no one could take her away again.

He wasn't sure if he was about to climax. He was too absorbed in her to pay attention to himself. However when Gaz climaxed, crying out his name as her walls squeezed around him tightly, he went over the edge and shouted her name, as if in reply. He felt himself shoot into her but he was not worried. Even if Gaz did not know it, he'd tested, to make sure she would be fine, which she would be. But she would not get pregnant, that was a fact he knew for sure, one he had tested carefully. It was just impossible but that was a relief.

He'd hate to have to use protection or something simply to keep Gaz to himself.

They came down from their high, Zim collapsing tiredly on the bed next to her, pulling out. They panted heavily, staring at one another before the haze in their brains finally cleared. Zim, chivalrous as always, reached down to get the blanket that had been kicked to the edge of the bed at some point, pulling it up and draping it over their bodies. As much as he enjoyed Gaz's naked flesh, she was tired, and seeing it would only make him want more. Not that he wasn't tired, he would just regain his energy quicker.

His PAK emerged from his back then, in a strange light Gaz did not get to see, as she was watching through half-lidded eyes and Zim's back was to her anyways.

Finally, he reached a hand out, touching her face. "I love you."

Gaz smirked, tiredly, "I love you too."

Zim beamed, cradling her naked body against his and ignoring the dull desire to try to get things started again. But it wasn't hard when he saw how worn she was and felt his own tiredness as his PAK recharged. He'd probably be in hibernation mode for a few hours now.

"You should rest," he informed her, smiling as he ran a hand through her hair. "You must be tired."

She snorted at him, her head against his smooth chest. "Well it _was_ pretty exhausting. You like your name that much, then?"

"Only when you scream it," Zim replied smugly. "Go to sleep, Gaz."

Her response was a yawn. "Goodnight, Zim."

He kissed her forehead, content. "Goodnight, my sweet Gaz."

* * *

*Lol, that's so fucked up.

I feel so diiiirty.

An entire chapter to write about sex.

Well . . . I hope it was a good read then.

NO. THIS STORY IS NOT DONE JUST BECAUSE THEY HAD SEX.

OH, there is so much more to add. And not just with sex, though more will be included. Not as long as this chapter, but this is their first time, so it had to be special, with no Dib or Tak or Gir, no one but Gaz and Zim for their special moment.

I'm tired.

It's 5:30am.

Goodnight. Or, well, good morning.

**Daily Quote:  
"No, anti-freeze isn't poisonous it's just like drinking, eh-."  
"Death?"  
"Ahahahahaha!"  
-Love my family and their conversations.**

TILL THE NEXT CHAPTER.


	23. The Morning After

You guys make my freaking day sometimes.. XD

TimIsaFunSucker

Chapter 22

Aw, I know how it feels, staying up until 5;30 AM. Try as I might I cannot get my body/brain to shut off before 4 AM. I think I might eventually have to take something for it. :/

Thank you for those little stars, lol! I had planned on skimming through the chapter, but this works too, lol!

**COOL! I'm not the only insomniac in the world! Mine shuts off at around 3 normally but I guess it decided to push me that night.**

Torrasque666

Chapter 22

My...childhood...actually doesn't burn for once. That was actually pretty nice, not like some of the other smut I've read.

Ahh GIR, why must you be so hilarious? Can we get a small family-style chapter with "The Family"? I would enjoy that. There were hints of it in the last one but I could enjoy more.

*is now going to sit and wait for 3 days for you to put the next one up*

**Oh joy! *throws water on you***

**. . . .**

**That was just in case. :D**

**The family stuff. I'll have to think about that, but, glad to know you guys like it so much.**

ngrey651

Chapter 22

Well, I admit, privately, I'm glad to see Gaz and Zim in the happy throngs of love and marriage, but I can tell you were confused by my last review. So I will try to be as courteous and explanatory as possible.

A simple set of questions: One, why didn't Zim just tell Dib what was happening to him? Dib's hacked and manipulated Irken technology a dozen times over, and if he knewGaz cared for him, he'd probably help out. That's my first question. And two...

Are we...supposed to root for Gaz and Zim in this story? Because I find it hard to.

Don't get me wrong, I support the two being in love, I don't believe in denying people the right to such a thing, but in a story, in general, the protagonist is somebody the creator of the story wants the audience to identify with, and while I DO sympathize with their love story, the whole "take over the world" thing I can't agree with. And it's not like Gaz and Zim are such fine, upstanding moral people. If they were, I could KINDA sympathize with them. But Gaz has harrassed and insulted and gotten her brother hurt every single time she was in an episode with him, and she sent Iggins plummeting down an elevator over a Game Slave. She MADE her own worst enemy. And if I went into what ZIM'S guilty of, I'd have take up more space than I'm allotted in this review.

So I ask...who should we, the reader, identify with? Whom should we support? Because Gaz and Zim haven't done anything worth supporting, yet you seem to be casting them as the "heroes". It's confusing to me.

**I took very careful consideration before answering this comment.**

**Dib could definitely not have fixed Zim. He is in no way capable of handling that kind of technology, nor did he have the tools to try. Nobody does! Not to mention Irkens think it's installed in the very core of their PAKs, not something that can be turned off or on. He would've ended up killing Zim. And as you can see, Dib would've been totally against Zim overthrowing the natural order no matter what, so it was easier and caused less fights to keep him out of the loop.**

**Well this IS a ZAGR story. I suppose you would.**

**And you make valid points. These two are assholes but rather then turn them into these fake, altered, lovable characters people normally portray them as I decided to just run with their regular attitudes. Clearly, and while this is in no way meant to be rude or insulting, you prefer the ladder and I respect that but that isn't how I'm writing them. But trust me when I say, Gaz will have her redeemable moment by the end of the story. I'm planning something big between her and Dib.**

**However I wonder something and this is meant with pure curiosity-fueled purposes; If you dislike all of the things Gaz and Zim have done from the show, why are you looking up ZAGR stories to read? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for your opinions so I can improve my story but it just makes me wonder.**

**So I'll tell you what. My next IZ story (which is not a continual of this one) will ensure you are able to identify with my main character(s).**

**But that's all I'm saying! You, sir/madame, have wrangled two sneak-previews out of me. Impressive.**

Captor of the Crazies

Congratulations RavenFlower, you have satisfied a tOp notch perv! It was SwEEt, flUffy, and H-O-T! I totally LuRvEd it! Zimmers was gentle and seXy at the same time in his touches, it was as if he was running his hands over glass, but once he took control he was a seductive beast who demanded to be tamed by the call of his name! You RoCk, plain and simple! I give to you a PerVy pUpil •^-^• smile.

**It's Follower. Or Echo, if you want my _name_-name. Although, I _do_ like Flower . . .**

**Anyways.**

**This just made me laugh. I was literally crying I was laughing so hard.**

**That's why I put this one in here. So hats off to you.**

**However, unfortunately, I do not have a hat to remove. :( But next time I wear a hat, I'll be sure to take it off for a second, for you!**

Mr. Mookenstein

Chapter 22

noted: the finest Irken cuisine tastes like vagina...yeah...anyway good lemon for a virgin author..a few inconsistencies but otherwise it met expectations...

**LMAO. ROFL, whatever enormously shown laughter I can type ever and more I want to express to you.**

**I have no clever rebuttal for this. Only my undying amusement.**

**Oh no wait, I have something!**

**Clearly, Gaz is so cool, she has a flavored vagina.**

**I'll probably think of something better AFTER I post this, but, oh well.**

**And LOL, inconsistencies. Oh my god, I'm dying over here.**

KotaWingz

Chapter 22

I feel so filthy for actually reading that . but I figured, that if you can write it, then I can read it.

*shudder*

Why did I think that?

*goes to bathroom and attempts not to puke*

**YOU AND ME BOTH! Blech! DX**

**But good reasoning. Way to be brave, guys, way to be brave.**

ForceWalker

Chapter 22

Finally, the chapter we've all be waiting for, and you know what...is what actually pretty good.

For a person who dislikes sex so much, you did a great job on this chapter, and it's different from smut stories, and I liked it. So trust me when I say, good job girl!

And it's about time Minnie-Moose came back! He's been gone for nearly the entire story, and only came back just last chapter! I missed Minnie-Moose.

And one last thing...it is absolute torture to wait three days for the next update. Torture, I say!

**LOL, "good job". Seriously, the best reviews I am getting from this chapter.**

**You want to know the honest reason I haven't had more Minnie-Moose? I don't like typing his name :(**

**Weird, I know, but there's just something about it that annoys me. I think it's the length. Most of the main characters in this story have 3 letter names and he's got what, like, 11, (not including the dash)? Not cool! D:**

Invader Johnny

Chapter 22

Oh heh heh heh heh, This chapter was good, so good.

is it weird that it turned me on? LOL Zim is one lucky son of a bitch.

Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**AHAHAHAHAHA, fo sho!**

**Me and my guy friend whose like my brother were talking about fucking the IZ cast. I, the not-blushing, entirely uninterested virgin admitted that the only person I would willingly have sex with was Zim. Mainly because of the tongue thing, from that "Door to Door" episode but also because I would find it more fun to tease the shit out of Dib and watch him squirm, since I'm so good at that when I'm bored.**

**So to answer your question, no, it's perfectly normal to be turned on by Gaz or Zim.**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 22

"Oh god, I'm so scared... I'm so scared... She's updated and she'll expect a review. What do I do? What do I DO?"

I'm so scared... I'm so scared... I'm so horribly mortified but I know this line-by-line reaction will make you laugh so I'm writing it anyway.

Its not that I haven't read smut before, its just that this is... smut written by an author that I've followed for three stories...

Oh god he's blocking off an entire wing of the fortress!

OH GOD THE STARS! I'M NOT LOOKING I'M NOT LOOKING IMNOTLOOKIN... Oh... wait... that's all there is to the chapter... Well, I guess I'll just have to read it then, to get my money's worth.

(*Starts making obviously inappropriate cat calls.*)

**I am female, meh! :D**

**LOL, I get it. It's like being in the middle of Health Class and finding out Dorothy killed herself and you feel like your whole childhood is ruined.**

**Which is a true story. Dorothy, from the Wizard of OZ. Or at least I'm pretty sure it was her. I remember my teacher was having a Ms. Bitters moment and going on and on about all these childhood stars that offed themselves and I went, "Oh my god! Next your going to tell me Toto died of cancer, holy crap!"**

**AND OH MY GOD YOU GUYS, SERIOUSLY. I am getting questioning looks from my fam (and my cat, who has curled up, uninvited, upon my lap) because I am just sitting here laughing into my knees for absolutely no reason.**

**Cat calls . . . oh, you guys kill me. XD**

Yes, more Gaz and Zim. Or at least, just them waking up today.

Also, bad idea to listen to Phantom of the Opera when you're home alone.

**Ahem, what just happened;**  
**_"My power over you  
Grows stronger yet!"  
(I sit in computer chair and see some shadow dart behind me, making me turn around)  
"And though you turn from me,  
To glance behind!"  
(Turns back to the computer) "Wait, what the fuck?"_**

That's your** daily quote**, by the way.

I really need to stop having such a spastic imagination. Although I'm pretty sure it was my other cat, cause that mother fucker is like a ninja.

Anyways.

**_NOTICE: I AM GOING ON VACATION TOMORROW. I'LL BE BACK IN THREE DAYS. HOPEFULLY, I WILL BE ABLE TO UPDATE ON TIME BUT IF NOT, I WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU WITH 2 CHAPTERS, SINCE I'M AHEAD ANYWAYS._**

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 23  
"The Morning After"**

Tak was petting MiMi, eying Dib curiously as he drove, sitting in the passenger seat.

"Why did you drag me along and not anyone else?" She questioned.

Dib had parked the car in front of Gretchen's house, waiting until everyone got out. However when Tak had been about to open her door (she had been trying to fix MiMi's wires, since a few of them had gotten crossed in the strain of keeping the defenses open, until they could return and leave) Dib turned the car back on, locking the doors and taking off. A few people had run after him but not for very long. He was, after all, in a car.

"You're the only one I needed," Dib replied, curtly. He was really in no mood to talk. "Anyone else would've just been unnecessary."

And they had driven through the night, stopping only once to refill on gas before taking off again.

Dib was honestly surprised Tak hadn't set MiMi on him. Her robotic cat had growled at him (something he found kind of funny), seeming only too ready to attack him should Tak give the word, but she hadn't. It seemed she didn't care much that she had been kidnapped. In fact, this was the first time she had spoken to him through the ride.

"For?" She pressed casually, looking out the window and continuing to stroke the fixed MiMi on the head.

The cat had never once taken its eyes off of Dib but she wasn't as poised to kill him anymore. He wondered if she was acting more like a human cat because her master was more human and they shared a bond but he couldn't know for sure and doubted Tak would tell him if he asked.

"To translate." Dib said bluntly, not offering anymore then she asked. He refused to elaborate, there were too many thoughts rushing through his head to explain.

Tak hissed, irritated, sitting up in the car. At once MiMi was on her shoulder, glaring hatefully at Dib.

"Translate _what_?" She demanded, hands balling up into fists at her sides. Tak wanted answers and she had been patient, but Dib was not giving them to her! No amount of patience was going to change that. "I'm not a tool, Dib! I require answers to do something, a _reason_! Where are you taking me?"

Dib sighed, resting his head against the steering wheel a moment before paying attention to the road again. "My house. Gaz told me to go home, and I don't know why either, she just said to. After you help me, I'll take you wherever you damned well please as compensation."

Tak relaxed slightly, sitting back down against the chair again. She gestured for MiMi to sit on her lap, needing to do something with her hands. Tak had always had a habit of playing with her hands, when she was nervous, anxious, or just plain twitchy. MiMi accepted that easily and normally she ended up being the thing that Tak pet, so that she looked under control instead of fidgety.

"I assume things didn't look promising towards her innocence, then?" Tak continued, casually once again.

Dib nodded. "You'd be correct to assume that."

Tak made a face, having expected this. She knew she was right, it was just a matter of Dib accepting that fact as well. Tak decided to start plotting what she would do next. Dib wasn't going to continue with this rebellion. In fact, she knew very well it was already crumbling. The human's stupid fears were getting the better of them now, save for the three that had come along in their last mission. By now, people were probably already going home. Maybe they would have a meeting to decide but without Dib, it would fall apart.

She scowled. If only she could've seen that Gretchen girl's face when Dib had driven off with Tak in her family's car.

They drove until morning, when Dib pulled quietly into a suburban area, stopping the car in front of a house.

"This is it," He said quietly, looking up at the two-story house he had lived in but so obediently abandoned. What was he now? A traitor to the government and the Swollen Eyeball, for running away with his sister. He was just . . . Dib now.

Weird. He'd never been just Dib.

"Are you just going to stare at it or are we actually going inside?"

Tak's voice snapped him out of his staring and he unlocked the doors, stepping out and slamming it shut after him. He didn't bother to lock it. These days, no one was stupid enough to wreak havoc and try to steal a car, for fear of getting their asses whooped by the soldiers patrolling the streets.

She followed him to the door, and he froze on the porch. "I don't have-!"

"The key?" Tak finished. She turned to her robot. "I figured as much, considering you put absolutely no plan into this. MiMi?"

The cat darted to the handle, and then dropped to the floor. Confused, Dib tried the knob again.

It opened.

"Cool trick," he muttered. Tak didn't reply, simply walking past him into his house, MiMi shooting Dib a glare before following her master.

Dib turned the lights on and was stunned to find nothing had been taken or damaged in their absence. But then again, who was dumb enough to break into the house where the girl who held the favor of Zim lived? He shuddered at that thought, looking around and finding it comforting and sad that he had found everything as it had been when he and Gaz had left.

Because now he was back home, but Gaz never would be.

She had a new home now.

"Come on," Dib said dejectedly, heading towards the stairs. "We should check Gaz's room. She told me to check her room."

Tak nodded and followed him. She watched him pause at the top, glaring at a shut door as if it was the door's fault all of this had happened. But he continued onwards, opening the door. Tak peeked in after seeing him freeze and then she too, stared, brows rising at the sight.

Papers. A board, with more papers stuck to it. Lines drawn across the papers, connecting them. Flashcards neatly stacked on her desk. Markers, pencils and other writing utensils placed conveniently. A list of the government that seemed to coincide with which countries had been taken down in orders and those that were to be next.

"Gaz planned this." Dib breathed, horror lacing his voice. "This was never Zim, it . . .! It was _her_!"

* * *

Zim was just staring at her now as she lay on her stomach, breathing slowly, like she always did when she was asleep. Her face was away from him, blankets having drooped down to her lower back, exposing all of it to him. Thin, long pink scrapes that were already healing covered her back. He smirked. Flashes of running his nails down that soft, pale back made him shift from the intensity of those memories, especially when an echo of her cries followed shortly after that. Zim shook his head, dispelling those thoughts quickly, but the smirk never left his face.

He gently stroked the bare expanse of abused flesh, wondering if it hurt or stung at all. But Zim had a feeling if it did, at all, Gaz wouldn't show it. She hadn't exactly protested while the marks had been made, either, he reminded himself with an ever widening smirk. And anyways, she was too tough and prideful to complain if they did. Thinking along these lines as he continued to stroke her, Zim decided he'd leave out some type of salve just in case, so no transaction would have to be made about it. If it hurt, Zim could help her fix it without the degrading necessity of asking.

Gaz shifted then, propping herself upon her elbows. Zim watched her carefully as she rolled her shoulders, watching for any sign of stiffness or hidden discomfort. However he saw none and Gaz turned to look at him with a calculating gaze, curious to see Zim's reaction.

He smiled at her, head propped up on his hand. "Good morning."

Gaz's expression was indifferent, glancing down at his torso, which was mostly covered by the blood-red covers. Then she looked back up at him, "A rather interesting morning, admittedly."

Zim smirked then, red eyes glinting with the promise of one thing or another. "I expect this is the first time you've woken up like this."

"Well, _actually_ . . ." Gaz made a face and Zim's eyes narrowed. She smirked at him and flicked his antennae, playfully. "Yes, this is the first time I've woken up like this."

"Good," Zim insisted, with finality. He reached an arm across, gently tracing a finger along a scar. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Gaz replied, eying him suspiciously. "Why?"

She craned her head around, a brow rising as she saw the marks he was touching along her body.

Zim frowned, almost guilty. "I didn't . . . I didn't _mean_ to-!"

Gaz silenced him with a look of irritation. When he was silenced, she glanced at the marks with a look of complete disregard to the minor injuries. "It doesn't even hurt, Zim. Stop being such a drama queen."

"I am _King_ of the Earth," Zim corrected in such a stern and prideful manner that Gaz had to smirk a little at it. "Zim is not the Queen of anything. That would be _you_, My Queen."

Gaz really liked the sound of that. Just not from Zim. "Don't call me that in private. It's irritating."

"Of course," Zim agreed, though she saw the flicker of curiosity in his eyes before he leaned down to kiss her, tenderly. When he pulled away he smirked at her. "Would you object to Zim calling you 'my love'?"

Gaz thought about it. Eventually though she replied, "If it's insignificant enough, not really, no."

"Mm," Zim replied, moving down to kiss a pink line on her shoulder. "_My love_, what do you think of the world Zim has provided for you?"

"It's disgusting," Gaz replied at once, with a smirk of her own as Zim pulled away to look at her eyes. "But with right improvements and proper adjustments it has . . . potential."

"I would hope no less of a gift to someone as important as you," He insisted with a smirk. "It's still early, my little Gaz. Is something troubling you?"

"Not at all," Gaz replied, stretching her arms and exposing a glimpse of her chest to Zim, who averted his eyes carefully. She relaxed again, smiling at her alien of a husband. "I think my body just had a bit too much adrenaline before I fell asleep."

"Really?" Zim shifted closer, a hand curling under her waist and pressing her bare chest against his own. "If you've got too much energy, we can always try again."

Gaz shivered as his hot breath flooded her sense. He began murmuring things in her ear she knew were spoken in Irken, things she had no hope of translating, since she only knew how to read Irken, not speak it. But the meaning of the them were clear as his loose hold on her tightened, his other hand trailing inside her calf and down again. She felt her muscles contract and wondered how she ever managed not to enjoy 'experimenting' with Zim when all of this started. So much effort he'd had to make and now all it took was a few tender, foreign words and a carefully placed touch of the hand.

Feeling his hand prick her backside, Gaz voluntarily slide her leg over his leg. Her arms encircled his neck as she began to nip and bite at it it, eliciting a growl from Zim that caused a smirk to appear on her own face. He'd already managed to force her breathing to a quicker speed when someone knocked on the door.

Zim's eyes narrowed and his growl was then one of fury instead of pleasure. She sighed and let him go but irritation was still prominent in her eyes. Zim got out of their bed, the covers falling off as he stood to reveal his bare body (save his PAK), uncovered by the sheets. Gaz smirked at the lean muscles of his, a dominant feeling of ownership flooding through her as she looked at him.

So maybe this was why Zim was so overprotective of her.

He walked into the closet and there were a few machine sounds before he came out, clothed and dignified. He walked over to the doors, motioning silence from her before opening it. The doors, thankfully, didn't face the bed and so Gaz was not shown in the least.

"What is it?" Zim demanded, his eyes narrowed in barely controlled fury.

Skoodge's stuttering, apologetic voice answered. "Um, my greatest and utmost apologies, Invader Zim, but the terms of surrender Russia has placed need to be looked over."

"Terms?" Gaz heard the disbelief in Zim's voice as he snorted. "They are not entitled to, nor will they have any 'terms' to speak of. Unconditional surrender. If they won't agree to that, inform them that they will be destroyed immediately upon their reply, should it prove disagreeable."

"Y-Yes, Sir!" Skoodge said quickly. "I'll deliver this message right away!"

"Good," Zim growled. "And inform anyone else that unless it's an emergency or the Tallest themselves, Gaz and I are not to be disturbed until we leave our chambers."

Zim slammed the door shut then. If Skoodge had had anything to add, Zim made sure that it was clear he was not in the mood. Gaz smirked as he rolled his eyes, antenna twitching in an irritated fashion on his head. She watched him as he let out an aggravated sigh, looking back at her.

"Humans are so dense sometimes," Zim said in disbelief. Gaz felt no insult as she smiled at him, knowing full well by now that he did not count her in that category. "As if I would let a section of the planet have terms of surrender simply because they think that they are superior to what I already own."

Gaz nodded her agreement with an eye roll. "They probably wanted something along the lines of keeping their nuclear weaponry."

"Nuclear weapons are dangerous and unstable," Zim replied, sliding off his coat and handing it to the metal tentacles that came down from the ceiling to retrieve it from him. "Should they refuse to surrender I'll simply trigger their weapons to explode upon themselves one by one until they do."

"Sounds like a simple enough plan," Gaz agreed as she watched him remove his clothes in a frustrated but coordinated manner.

"That's the thing about humans," Zim informed her, irritated as he continued to toss his clothes on the floor still appearing rather annoyed. "They try to outmaneuver one another when the easiest of plans is often the best and most effective one."

Gaz sat up then, "Zim?"

"What?" He demanded, turning to look at her after throwing his shoes into the closet. Then his eyes widened considerably.

Because she had sat up, the covers had fallen off her torso, revealing the entire upper half of her body to him. He stared, mind completely blank.

She gave him a look of disbelief. "Are you going to bitch or are you going to come back to bed?"

Suddenly a dark lust filled his eyes, his mouth curling into a devious smirk. "It's not that hard of a decision to make, Gaz."

"Well then hurry up," She snapped, pulling the blankets back up to cover herself, much to Zim's disapproval. She turned her back on him, waiting until she felt the bed shift and hands grab her hips, turning her to face him.

"You're such an insistent little thing when you find something you like," Zim informed her, amused and naked once again.

Gaz gave him a look. "You honestly say you'd rather bitch about other people then have _this_?"

Zim eyed the curve of her body she gestured to with an unreadable expression. A moment later though he looked her dead in the eye, in all seriousness. "You are my everything. Don't ever forget that I stayed alive only because of you. I'd give up the world for you, Gaz. You are my first priority."

"And I kept you alive for the same reasons," Gaz murmured back.

The seemed to please him to great extents and she once again found her body pressed against his, with him murmuring things in his language to her. Gaz still couldn't understand a word of it but she could sense their meaning. She could feel the lust he expressed in those words, along with the need to have her, there, at that very moment. She once again shivered as Zim picked up where he'd left off, _before_ they were rudely interrupted.

* * *

Tak collapsed onto the floor, startling Dib.

MiMi was already at her side, having obviously quicker reflexes then Dib ever could. She was scanning Tak, who was leaning heavily against the wall, sitting down with her knees up as MiMi began lazering off her jacket. Dib's brow rose. Tak _had_ been favoring that arm.

Just how bad had her fight with Zim _been_?

He got his answer when MiMi successfully removed the sleeve of her coat, revealing a large purple and blue bruise on her arm. MiMi's eyes narrowed and she zipped off, returning seconds later with an ice pack probably taken from his freezer. Tak hissed as her minion skillfully applied it, focused on her work.

Dib knelt beside her, stunned. "T-Tak . . . What-?"

"Zim's a better fighter then I remember," Tak interrupted, curtly, as if she was trying to pretend she wasn't injured. "But I never experienced hand-to-hand combat with him before, so I wouldn't know for sure. And this body is weaker then my old one. The injuries wouldn't be half as bad if I was Irken."

She hissed again as MiMi prodded her ribs.

Dib was in disbelief as he looked at just that bruise, wondering how many other wounds she'd sustained from Zim that her clothes covered. Not that he was going to demand he see them, Dib wasn't that kind of person, but really. How could Zim do this?

Then again, wouldn't Tak have done the same thing back to him?

Stupid, confusing, sexist world order.

"How long do you think it will take to heal?" Dib asked her, concerned, despite his efforts not to be.

Tak glanced towards her companion. "MiMi?"

The robot looked up and beeped at her before returning to her work.

She groaned, leaning back against the wall. "A week, standard Earth-time. Possibly more."

Dib laughed, sitting on the floor next to her. "Wow, that-."

The door was kicked open.

Dib heard it.

"MiMi!" Tak ordered. "Tend to my wounds later. Protect the house instead."

The robot spun around and was downstairs within an instant. Loud shouts of surprise were heard.

Anxious, Dib looked to Tak. "Shouldn't we . . . _hide_, or something?"

She looked back at him, a brow rising. "Why should we? MiMi can take care of these intruders before they get anywhere near our location."

"Um . . . okay."

They waited.

And then there was the sound of a cat screeching.

"MIMI!" Tak shrieked, jumping to her feet, despite her injuries.

Dib did the same, about to pull out his weapon before they both realized the same thing.

"Our weapons-!"

"Are in the car," Tak finished with a groan. She turned and shoved him inside Gaz's room, making him stumble. "Your plan now! We hide!"

"Hey-! _Ow_!" Dib complained, glaring at her as she shut the door and locked it behind them. "You're _injured_! How are you still so strong?"

Tak smirked at him. "I'm just that superior to you. Now shush!"

She began walking silently over to the closet, gesturing for him to follow. He did, and they hid in the closet, Dib extremely glad that there was more than enough room to keep them from being forced to touch one another. Dib still wasn't particularly fond of Tak in general. Even if her wit was growing on him, he still didn't want her anywhere near him, let alone touching him.

"Where are they?"

"There's blood. They must've been here."

Dib's eyes shot to Tak at the muffled voices words. In the darkness, he saw her eyes widen, searching silently for where the blood was coming from. Dib felt true terror seize him as he wondered if it had left a trail.

"Any sign of a trail?"

"No. Just a few drops."

"Let's check in here, then."

Shit!

They remained completely silent.

Dib could tell what they were seeing.

Gaz's room. Obviously this was not just a break in, or they wouldn't be looking for anyone, just taking things. But they were now seeing Gaz's room, littered with plans to take over the world. The betrayal still stung and Dib flinched, as if it was a real wound. This was the life that she wanted but he couldn't help but wonder why.

What had changed?

Why did she need to do this?

"Damn."

"Figured as much. That girl was probably lying to us from the start."

"At least her information was legit. Agent Moth-Man cooberated her story."

Dib's eyes shot open. The Swollen Eyeball was still looking from him!

And glancing at the creature still frantically searching for blood in the closet with him, he realized they would now get a dangerous weapon if they were found and captured. Dib knew that he couldn't let that happen, now that he knew what Gaz wanted. Even if it was a world of chaos, it was a world of his sister's (he ignored Zim's hand in it, for simplicities sake) and a world he couldn't betray.

"How do we know he wasn't lying?"

"There's no evidence of this in _his_ room." A new voice said. "You find them yet?"

"We're just about to scan for any bio-matter."

Tak and him locked gazes.

Then her eyes squeezed shut and she shut her eyes, hugging her legs and burying her face in them.

She knew well what the Swollen Eyeball was. Tak had collected the information on her first trip to Earth, from Dib, and had done some research. They were a group that would study her, make her take painful tests, probe her, use her, and eventually kill her. But before sweet death there would be torture. And in her current state, she wouldn't be able to protect herself. Especially when they'd done who knows what to MiMi. Dib saw her thoughts written all across her as she shook with restrained fear.

Even if he hated the girl, he wasn't about to let that happen.

"Play along," Dib hissed, quiet enough for only her to hear.

Tak's head shot up, confusion and suspicion all across her face. But the dominant emotion was fear, a fact he chose to ignore.

"Oh, phew," Dib said, opening the closet door, a mask of relief. "Geez, I thought you guys were kidnappers or something."

"Agent Moth-Man!" They all shouted, surprised.

Dib nodded, turning to look at Tak. "Come on, they're fine. You're safe."

Her face was white with fear. She didn't move, staring at him in horror and disbelief.

He sighed, moving to do something she would've killed him for.

Dib picked her up, cradling her against his chest. She shrunk away from the Swollen Eyeball members oblivious to the fact that she was recoiling into Dib. They all eyed her with surprise.

"We thought she was your sister," One of the men admitted, not one of them taking her eyes off of her.

Dib shook his head. "No. Her name's Tak. We ended up rescuing her on our mission to break into Zim's fortress, to try and rescue Gaz."

"Ah, yes, your little rebellion." Another of them said, with disapproval. "Agent Moth-Man, why did you run from us?"

"We got a message from Zim, before we were attacked." Dib replied. "I don't have my laptop anymore, but he was taunting me. He said he'd found out the whereabouts of one of my friends, from when we were kids."

"And she would be that friend?"

"Yeah. Tak was a transfer student at my Middle-Skool, but she disappeared one day. I figured she'd moved again but Zim told me that she'd been abducted and brainwashed by his Tallest, a test subject they used to study and train to see if humans had any potential for armies. When Zim found her in the archives, which, really, I don't even know how he did, he confiscated her and told me that he was going to use her to lead his armies. When we broke in, a member of my rebellion retrieved her while the rest of us tried to get to Gaz. But-."

"She didn't want to come?" An agent interrupted, looking around the room. "Well, I imagine you figured out why."

Dib's head drooped, Tak still staring at everyone around her. Dib's lie was believing. It explained a lot, why she seemed so terrified of everything but him and her skills and knowledge of the Irken Empire. Even MiMi really.

But now she was_ human_ to them. Ugh!

"Yeah," Dib continued, real pain filtering in his voice. "I do."

"That still doesn't explain why you broke out." Someone insisted. "Why did you leave?"

"It was Gaz's idea." That was true, wasn't it? He'd left to protect her and she had just wanted to make it easier to surrender herself. "She told me that we couldn't do anything working with you and the government, so we pulled a few strings and took off. I played right into her hands!"

The last statement was angry, bringing Tak's eyes shooting to his face.

It was silent.

But the man nodded. Apparently Dib's story made sense. "Very well. We'll take you to your father. We apprehended him while he was on his way here and told us he was going home, to meet you, under the instructions of Gaz. Apparently, he attended her wedding."

"Yeah," Dib nodded, adjusting Tak in his arms. "I saw him when we broke in. Tak fought Zim, because she's trained in the Irken fighting techniques, but she's been hurt. She needs medical attention."

"Where's MiMi?" Tak demanded. But it came out feebly, like a child asking where her favorite doll was.

"MiMi?"

"Her cat." Dib replied, in explanation. "It's okay, right?"

"It's been turned off, for the moment."

"It attacked us," Another added, eyes narrowed at Tak, who shrunk away fearfully.

Dib cleared his throat, attracting that man's attention. Tak visibly relaxed, but only slightly. "She isn't used to humans yet so if you could be cautious . . .?"

"My apologies," The man replied.

"Can she have her cat?"

"Only if she can control it."

"She'll listen to Tak."

One of them snapped his fingers and the deactivated robot (thankfully still in the form of a cat, somehow) appeared in an electric box. Dib stared in awe and wonder while Tak gave a shrill cry.

"MIMI!" She shouted, eyes widening further, her good arm outstretching towards it. "What did you do to her?"

"She's fine." One of them insisted, in an attempt to calm her.

They placed it on the floor and hit a button on the remote. The box dissolved and MiMi sat up, attentive at once, turning to growl at the men.

"MiMi," Tak ordered, staring at the men nervously as she addressed her robot. "Stand down. Return to your master."

Eyes narrowing at the men, she turned her backs on them, zipping onto Dib's shoulder where Tak's head was closest and standing protectively. Dib glanced at the robot, surprised that for once she wasn't acting like he was the enemy.

They all sighed in relief, now that the crazed creature wasn't attacking them. It had been a lucky shot they'd caught her at all.

"We should go," One of them said. "We'll tend to your friends wounds."

"Can I stay with her?" Dib asked.

Tak nearly groaned but did not. As much as she despised Dib, he was all that was keeping her from being dissected right now. He was the one coming up with the story because (much to her chagrin) she was speechless and paralyzed with fear. She didn't have a self-destruct button anymore.

Well. This certainly sucked.

"Of course." The men agreed, "Come. We'll take you to our new headquarters."

* * *

Hehe, I got the Swollen Eyeball involved again.

YES. TAK AND DIB FORCED TOGETHER.

I really needed a reason for Dib to continue pursuing Zim when Gaz would get hurt if he did. At first it was something Tak did, but that was just too complicated so I decided to just involve the Swollen Eyeball again.

Also, do you like how I just blatantly removed the Group from the story? Minnie-Moose style right there. Except instead of making you just accept that fact something is there now, I'm just making you accept the fact they will probably no longer be in the story.

YAY!

Till the next chapter! *does adorable salute*


	24. Straightened Priorities

MMMMM, some more hotness.

Just a bit. Not a whole CHAPTERS worth again.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 24  
"Straightened Priorities"**

Gaz had gotten up about four hours later, after taking another quick nap.

She was in the closet now, decided an outfit to pick. On any normal persons' honeymoon, she'd be bed-ridden all day, most likely. But she was Zim's wife and counterpart now, meaning she had to be every bit as involved as he was in this world affair.

Not to mention the Tallest would be calling today.

Zim had received a transmission while she was resting again. He'd taken off all of the Earthen world affairs, but the Tallest waited for no one and nothing, which, unfortunately for him, included not waiting for Zim to have some alone time with his new mate.

Gaz picked up a few clothes, still completely naked. She wasn't sure why, but now that someone had seen her naked for about 11 hours straight (part of which she hadn't been awake, but Zim could hardly help that he didn't sleep and that his hibernation had only taken a few hours), she wasn't particularly concerned about said person walking in on her again. In fact, the closet was open, since she really just did not care.

It wasn't until she felt an equally naked body press up against her back, and bare hands grip her breasts suddenly, that Gaz realized that probably wasn't the best of ideas if she wanted to get dressed anytime soon.

Unfortunately, she didn't have time to steal herself against his touch, making her release a sharp gasp of surprise.

Zim really liked that noise and it was made clear by how he began massaging them, biting her neck and licking the nips afterward. Gaz was unable to hold back her noises of pleasure as he continued, Zim groaning back at every noise she made.

"Zim," She tried to say his name severely, to get him to stop, but it came out as a moan.

He chuckled, obviously pleased. He spun her around, pinning her up against the wall with only his body, his arms wrapping around her slim waist. His tongue slipped into her mouth, lips against hers as he pulled more noises from her. When he broke to give her air and began nipping her collarbone instead, Gaz forced the haze from her mind and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Aren't we . . . expecting . . . a call?" She hissed, gritting her teeth to try and ignore the pleasure she was receiving and focus on the call they would be getting in a few hours.

"That's_ ages_ from now!" Zim insisted, never relenting from his pursuit to tease her skin, creating little love bites all up her neck and down to her shoulder. "We have plenty of time to before they call. Besides, we're already naked."

"If you keep thinking like that, we'll never get dressed." She insisted dryly, rolling her eyes as she predicted his next words.

Zim's head snapped up, a brow rising with a vile smirk. "And what is wrong with that?"

"For starters, you'll piss of your leaders." Gaz replied, glaring at him. It was rather hard to do when there was heat pooling between her bare legs but she refused to squirm. "Not the best way to start off the morning."

"No, you are correct." Zim's smile temporarily dropped from his face as he nodded. But then he grinned at her, a smile twice as large as his last. "We've already done _that_. However I would _very _much like to do it again."

"Ha ha," Gaz smirked, regaining her composure as she pushed away from him. "Very funny. But I'm serious, Zim. We'll have time for that once we get off the call with the Tallest."

He pouted, but it was clear he knew that every bit as much as she did.

"It won't be the same," he replied, sighing over-dramatically. "But I suppose if you _insist _on denying me your perfection of a body-."

He was interrupted by her throwing a rejected shirt in his face.

* * *

Tak tried to ignore Dib still holding her in the car. She had to repeatedly remind herself that this was the image she was playing now and besides, she was far too weak to really make much of a protest anyways. MiMi was tending to her wounds but there was nothing her robot companion could do about her energy levels. And Dib wasn't even really holding her, she was just leaning on him, sitting on her own seat, eyes drooping with the exhaustion she fought against. Tak was determined to stay awake until she knew wherever the hell they were going.

"So, Tak," one of the men said casually. "Where do you come from?"

It took her a moment to remember all of her past cover story. However they attributed it to trauma and exhaustion, an unappealing mix. "My father is the head of the Delicious Weenie Company."

"Why didn't he file a missing persons report?"

"You'd have to ask him," Tak yawned, then cut off with a hiss as MiMi tended to a cut on her collarbone, made by one of Zim's appendages. "He never liked me much anyways and forgot about me a lot though, since he was always working. Really it doesn't surprise me."

"The aliens probably made sure she wouldn't be missed." Dib added, a careful amount of sympathy in his voice. "I'm sure if you find her dad his brain has been wiped clean of any memory of her, though. Geez, Tak, I really _am_ sorry for not noticing."

"Stop saying that," she insisted, irritated, as if he'd said it a million times already. "It was hardly your fault."

"Do you know why they picked you?" The agent asked.

Tak still couldn't help but shy away from these men that would harm her if her secret was revealed. But it was alright, because it made sense to her cover story as well. "No. Nobody ever told me anything, just that I should be proud to have been chosen."

She shuddered, glancing up at Dib to see if she'd overdone it. He smiled at her.

Apparently not.

"You should rest," He suggested. "You look tired."

Tak should her head sternly, the first not-weak thing she'd done so far. "I've been up and working when I was worse. Besides, I want to see where we're going."

"You won't anyways," the man replied. "We drive through underground tunnels past a certain point."

Tak scowled and sighed, glancing at MiMi warily.

"We won't touch her again, don't worry." The agent assured her, under the impression she was worried about her 'cat'.

MiMi shot him a death-glare, as if saying, "You'd better not!"

Tak reached up and stroked her cat, motioning her forward.

"_MiMi_," she said in murmured Irken, stroking her SIR unit's face gently. _"Keep an eye on things while I rest and inform me of what I miss. Try to decipher our location without alerting these men of what you're doing"_

The man's brow rose at her soft-spoken tone. "What did you say to her?"

"I told her to relax and do what she can while I'm sleeping," Tak replied smoothly, yawning again as her eyes drooped. "She's going to keep an eye on me while I rest . . ."

Her eyes drooped fully and Dib watched with surprise as she rested her head on his chest, falling completely asleep. Her slow breathing was the only thing in the car. MiMi's eyes darted to Dib, then to the agents, before resting protectively on Tak and Dib.

"She seems to like you," the agent noted.

Dib wasn't sure which one he was talking about; MiMi, or Tak. "The cat or her?"

"Both of them, but I was referring to the girl."

He almost blew his cover then by laughing. Tak liking _him_? Yeah, right. "She's familiar with me. We weren't great friends, but she was the first friend I'd ever had when I was a kid. I remember her, I'm just surprised she remembers me."

"Do you trust her?"

"More then Gaz," Dib admitted bitterly. "Do you see what Zim did to her when she got into a fight with him? When Gaz and Zim fought, they made out and Zim saved her. Tak got the crap beat out of her trying to kill him. I think I was just avoiding what I already knew but with Tak, I know she never wanted this."

The man nodded. "But she was raised by the Irken Empire. Don't you think she'd have some allegiance to them?"

"Trained, not raised." Dib corrected. "Maybe, but, I don't think so. As far as I know, Irkens are immensely loyal to their Tallest. If Tak had converted and seen Zim's height, she wouldn't have questioned any of his orders to stand down and gone back to her cell. But she fought him instead. I think that just kind of says she was waiting for the opportunity."

Yet there was something Dib was unsure about. He glanced down at her, MiMi's eyes immediately upon him for the attention, and couldn't help but really wonder what her motive was. Tak had said she went looking for him, Gaz, and Zim.

But . . . why?

* * *

"So, your mission goes well, then?"

Zim had one hand on the small of Gaz's back, the other hand behind him. Gaz stood with both hands folded in her lap. Both wore unreadable expressions and stood erect, like soldiers. The Tallest seemed pleased.

"Yes, My Tallest," Zim replied dutifully. "Invader Skoodge informed me before this meeting that one of the seven countries called Russia has surrendered. That covers all the major parties on Earth, meaning the rest should surrender soon. I'll be sending the notices this evening and give them until the end of the week to respond."

"Oh, good!" Purple said. "That means you can be joining us on the Massive soon, for a visit!"

Zim stilled. Gaz was the only one who noticed his apprehension and she wasn't even looking at him. It was strange. Maybe it was that she'd been spending too much time with him, or maybe it was something to do with this mating thing, but recently she felt rather in-tune with him. She'd have to ask him about that when this call was over.

"But, My Tallest," Zim said nervously. "Leaving my post before I've conquered the entire planet could prove dangerous to the mission!"

"Invader Skoodge can handle it," Red insisted. "When should we be expecting you?"

"Eh," Zim hesitated, glancing at Gaz. Then he switched languages, speaking in Irken so she wouldn't understand. "_My Tallest, humans don't do well in space. In fact, their bones deteriorate after prolonged amounts of time off of Earth. I'd prefer not to take Gaz into space with me, to prevent exposure._"

Their eyes widened.

"_Wow, humans really **are** weak_!" Purple exclaimed in surprise, also using Irken, so as not to let Gaz hear him insulting her race.

"_Precisely,_" Zim agreed. "_And my greatest apologies, My Tallest, but I cannot risk the health of my mate by taking her to the Armada._"

The Tallest shared a glance. A single brow on Gaz's face rose as she listened to this conversation she knew Zim was purposefully excluding her from. One of these days she was _really_ going to have to figure out how to learn to speak Irken. Her eyes darted between the Irkens on the screen and the one next to her suspiciously, but she spoke not a word.

The Tallest smirked.

"_Then just give her a Pill, Zim._" Red finally said, looking away from his fellow Tallest and back towards Zim.

Zim's eyes shot open. Once again Gaz felt slightly irritated for being left out of the loop.

"_A-A Pill, My Tallest_?" He stuttered out in disbelief. "_Y-Y-You'd be willing to let me give her a Pill_?"

"_Why not_?" Red insisted, with a shrug. "_We wouldn't get to meet her otherwise and we'd like to see first-hand the prime of what Earth has to offer. That little video you sent us of her fighting your army was fascinating. If letting you give her a Pill is what it takes to satisfy our curiosity, so be it. It's not like she's going to betray us afterwards or anything, like we'd expect with other species._"

Zim bowed extremely low, saluting with awe and admiration in his eyes when he came back up to look at his leaders. "_My greatest of thanks, My Tallest_!"

Purple waved a hand. "_Don't mention it. We'll send it one and have you come up once she's adjusted._"

"_Actually, My Tallest_," Zim said, nervous once again. "_I'd prefer to make it myself. Humans are different from most species and have a rather delicate inner system that reacts badly when handled carelessly. If possible, I'd like to custom make one, to ensure that she remains at least mostly unaffected_."

The Tallest smirked at him. It was always fun to watch an Irken with a mate. They became infinitely bolder (but not too bold of course, then that would become a problem), especially when the discussion was a matter of their mate's well-being. The look in Zim's eyes, the loyalty and awe, made the Tallest feel pleased that even when they were being kind they were still forcing submission from their underling.

"Very well," Red agreed, switching back to their second language. "We'll send you the recipe so you can alter it to your liking and the ingredients to what you come up with if you don't already have them on hand."

Purple waved enthusiastically, making Gaz smirk a bit. "See ya soon, guys!"

The Tallest signaled to someone off-screen and they were gone.

Gaz immediately turned to Zim, a brow rising. "You went from a visit into space to cooking. What exactly did I miss?"

"I'll tell you later," Zim promised, kissing her forehead.

Her eyes narrowed. "No, you will tell me _now_."

Zim sighed at her stubbornness, leading her out of the room, replacing his hand on her back. "We we're talking about the Pill."

Gaz's expression turned to one of shock. "The . . . Wait, Irkens have a 'pill'?"

He turned to her, surprised. "I was unaware humans had one. Why don't you all use it then?"

Gaz's face was a look of complete shock and mild disgust. She quickly shook her head. "Wait, I think we're talking about two different things that have the same name. On Earth, 'the pill' is slang for 'birth control'. And while I wouldn't put it past you, I doubt you'd go so far in your boasting of your sexual conquests to talk about _that_. But I doubt that's what you were talking about, since you wouldn't need to make your own if that was the case."

Zim looked confused, stressing the three syllables of the new word. "What is '_birth_-con-trol'?"

She sighed. Oh, Zim.

"Females take a pill every day so that when they have sex, they don't get pregnant." Gaz explained. She could not _believe_ she was talking about this with him.

Zim's eye twitched. "Humans . . . _prevent_ their smeets from existing? That's entirely barbaric!"*

"Well what do you Irkens do with your 'smeets' then, if you don't want kids?" Gaz replied, truly interested but sarcastic at the same time.

"Haha, silly Gaz!" Zim laughed, tapping her on the nose. She scrunched up her face a moment, but he ignored her reaction. "Irkens do not raise their children themselves, we're far too busy for that! Like I believe I said a few years ago, when Irkens mate, things are collected and put into cryotanks for hatching."

"You are from an egg?" Gaz's asked in disbelief, a brow rising. "Like a bird?"

"The term 'hatching' is only applied because we develop like a chick in an egg, much like your human worm-babies do. However, like I said, we are in a tank of nutrients to feed off of until we are developed enough to come out and be given a PAK." Zim explained, freely. Gaz eyed him carefully, remembering when they had first had this conversation and he'd refused to discuss this with her. That was still with the LEECHY, wasn't it, when she had been trying to distract him from having his fun with her?

_How things have changed since then_, she thought, his hand on her back briefly burning.

"Actually," Zim continued, oblivious to her thoughts. "Irkens rarely mate for fun. It's more of a breeding kind of thing. Like how humans breed dogs, so that they can be called 'purebreds'. It's the same with us most of the time."

Gaz snickered. "Weird."

"Thanks," He replied, sarcastically. She glanced up to see if he was actually insulted, but he was grinning, and so she paid her comment no mind.

Then she remembered the original point. "So then what pill were _you_ talking about?"

Zim sighed. He'd hoped she'd forgotten. "A Pill on my planet is referring to the Permanent-Life-Sustaining Pill, the Pill for short. It comes in a capsule and permission is required from the Tallest themselves to administrate."

"Sounds a bit over-dramatic, but okay," Gaz commented dryly. "What's its purpose?"

"As it was named, to keep a life-form from dying." Zim replied back indifferently. But he was watching her face carefully as she looked ahead. He was slightly frustrated to find it was an unreadable mask and continued, hoping to be able to deduce her reaction. "A long time ago, it was invented to keep only the Tallest alive when their PAK malfunctioned, but it was later altered when one of our Tallest picked a mate of a different species. However, Irkens don't die and only age in maturity after reaching a certain point in their lifespan. Sure, years are counted, but you never look or feel _physically_ different, like _your_ elderly."

"Oh, yeah," Gaz looked up at Zim with curiosity. "How old are you, Zim?"

Zim smirked at her. "As an Irken, I'm still fairly young. Adolescence, actually."

"I _meant_ in Earth years," Gaz insisted, suspiciously. "How many years have you been out of your little tank thingy?"

He laughed, "Do you really wish to know?"

"You avoiding answering me makes me have second-thoughts."

"Then when you are sure you want to know, I'll tell you," Zim replied, kissing her on the head again. "I very well may just be harassing you, you know. But back to the original point; the Pill is given to mates of Irkens that don't have lifespans like ours. It's normally used for the Tallest, but-."

"They gave you permission . . . to give it to me?" Gaz interrupted, guessing.

Zim nodded. "Correct. And I wished to alter it to ensure you delicate human system would be able to handle it." He paused. "But, Gaz, I . . . wanted to make sure that you . . . that you wanted to spend your life at this age."

She looked up at him, surprised to hear the nervousness in his voice. When her eyes narrowed at him he flinched and she looked away again, rolling her eyes and turning away. "If I didn't want to spend my life with you, Zim, I wouldn't have married you, convinced you to stay alive, and I _definitely_ wouldn't have had sex with you. I also have no problem avoiding being elderly."

Surprisingly though, he still looked nervous.

"What?"

"You would . . . _long_ outlive your family." Zim explained quietly.

Gaz stopped and Zim stopped next to her, fearful of her reaction. She remained quiet a long while, looking down at the floor and glaring at it in contemplative thought. Eventually she just smiled at him.

"That was probably going to happen anyways." She admitted, continuing walking.

Zim followed after her, holding her around the waist. "You aren't upset?"

She just shrugged. Zim knew then she was upset, if only a little.

And so he stopped and hugged her, tightly. She protested at once and he simply chuckled, amused.

"You need not hide things from your mate," Zim insisted, gently, putting his hands on his shoulders and holding her slightly closer than arm's length. "There is no point in me not knowing it bothers you but I will not push the subject, since it is upsetting. Now come," he insisted, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hallway at a quicker pace then their leisurely one from moments ago. "You denied me my privileges as both your husband and mate earlier, I do not intend to let you do it again!"

The sense of injustice on his face made Gaz snicker.

"How quickly do you think that you can get this one off, then?" Gaz questioned as he slowed down, reaching the door.

She'd purposefully picked another dress that was almost too complicated to look at, let alone take off or put on. But she had managed (needing that hour) it all for the sake of watching Zim struggle with it later. He paused, his hand on the doorknob as it scanned him, glancing back and eying the garment that prevented him from doing what he wanted.

Then he scoffed and turned back, opening the door. "Two seconds."

"Without ruining the dress," She corrected severely.

Zim turned around and beamed at her, a wicked smile on his face as he pulled her inside the room.

"Ten."

* * *

Tak awoke in a comfortably dark room, MiMi standing protectively beside her.

She sat up, a blanket over her form. It was rather soft, surprisingly comfortable against her weak, sensitive human skin as she moved. However at MiMi's look of complete apprehension she tensed, eyes darting around. When her robot eyed her form, though, she looked down and hissed in surprise.

She was completely naked.

Thankfully the blanket had only drooped to her collarbone, keeping her disgusting body covered. Tak wasn't quite sure she could stomach seeing it completely nude yet. It was hard enough ignoring it while changing in the morning, let alone taking these things humans needed to do to keep themselves from smelling called "showers". Now she was waking up this way as well?

"_Why_?" Tak growled to MiMi, speaking in Irken.

Her robot didn't need any more of a question.

"_They informed me it would help you heal faster._" MiMi replied, though even her tone of beeps did not sound pleased. "_The boy promised if you were not feeling better though, I could kill him._" One eye widened, the robotic compromise of a brow rising. "_Are you feeling better?_"

Tak smirked at her robot's blood-thirsty, hopeful tone. Of course, she wanted Tak to feel better, but this was such a convenient opportunity. Thanks to being so intune with her master (as she was designed to do) MiMi was gaining a personality. A very cold one that did not like Dib apparently, but one that was starting to grow on Tak.

"_Unfortunately_," Tak replied, dully, holding the blanket with one hand and using the other to run a hand through her hair. "_I would've loved to see you kill Dib simply for my sake._"

"_I'm sure the opportunity will present itself again. That boy is quite irrational. He makes promises that cannot be assured, risking his life for them._" MiMi said with disapproval, her tail flicking out behind her in an irritated fashion.

Tak laughed. She couldn't help it. The only comfort she really got anyways was in her voice that remained unchanged. The _only_ thing unchanged. "_Most humans are, MiMi. Now, what did you learn while I was asleep? And who undressed me?_"

"_Female nurses. I was able to deduce that on Earth, genders seeing other genders undressed, even in medical form, is disrespectful. So I was able to insist that females treat you. Although, Dib was in the room._"

"Oh?" Tak said, in her second language, brow rising, an acidic tone entering her voice as she glared at her robot.

MiMi corrected herself. "_I made sure he faced the wall. A few he turned around to see how the women were handling you, even though I was supervising them closely, and he has a scar for each time he did so. Ignorant fool. As if I'm not fit enough to look after my master!_"

"_Any idea where we are?_"

"_My identifier has been blocked by some signal._" Surprisingly, her ears wilted. Tak's eyes widened. Was this 'emotion' thing really starting to get to her minion so indefinitely? "_Any time I try to track it, it stuns me for a few minutes. I tried for hours, but it doesn't desist._"

"Hours?" Tak shouted, slipping out of Irken in her alarm. "Exactly how long have I been out?"

"About a day."

Tak's head snapped to the door that had opened, unnoticed, as the two females had been two wrapped up in their conversation to notice. Tak could only see their silhouette, but MiMi's hiss of disapproval was all she needed to identify the person in the doorway.

"I brought females," He assured MiMi, holding his palms up in surrender, stepping into the room and stepping to the side (facing the wall) to allow said women to enter, some of them carrying bags of liquid. Instinctively, Tak shied away. She just couldn't help it.

"_Do you wish to remain untouched now_?" MiMi asked, plainly, as the women had yet to actually reach the metal operation table Tak was lying on. It wasn't a hospital room, but this was what they had to work with down here, apparently.

"_Give me a moment._" Tak replied tiredly, her hand going to her forehead.

MiMi nodded and darted in the path of the women, stopping them dead in their tracks as she gave them deathly glares.

"I think that means 'back up'." Dib informed them dryly, having glanced over his shoulder at their squeals of surprise and slight apprehension.

"_What are those_?" Tak demanded of MiMi, the nerves in her voice going undisguised.

MiMi didn't answer, too preoccupied to do so. She hissed at the women, making them take a few steps back. Her tail flicked warningly behind her. Tak noted this with curiosity, glancing at her from the corner of her eye. Normally, MiMi did not enjoy being in hologram form. She wondered if the humanity of a cat was just more comfortable, due to her master's change, or that she was trying to remain as undercover as possible for the moment. Tak made a mental note to ask her about that later.

"M-Miss!" The nurse stuttered. "Your cat-!"

"Leave. Me. Alone." Tak growled, glaring disdainfully at the women, her eyes flicking to the liquid in their hands. She felt a wave of nausea overcome her and turned away from those bags, before she experienced vomiting for the first time.

"But we have to refill your IV!"

"Ivy?" Tak repeated, confusing the words as she glared, confused, eyes flickering between their faces. "What does an idiotic plant have to do with my healing capabilities? Are you using some type of herbal remedies on me?"

A woman made a daring step forward. MiMi stilled so abruptly that she immediately took two back.

"An IV is a way to provide nutrients and liquids without the need to go through your mouth, Tak." Dib replied, facing the wall still. He sighed. "Check your hand and try to keep your emotions under control so MiMi doesn't kill anyone."

The women squeaked with fear and MiMi gave him an inquiring gaze, glancing over at her master.

"_My apologies for not informing you sooner, master._" She said at once. "_You were implanted with a needle_."

Tak looked at the hand she had been using to keep the blanket up and froze, abruptly. Then her eyes narrowed and she shivered, completely disgusted, trying to ignore the fact that she was being pumped with liquid, directly into her human veins. She was thankful her squeedily-spooch was so strong, lest it completely collapse under these foreign medications.

"_These humans_," Tak growled. "_They're so barbaric, MiMi_."

"_It was what was best for your new body. I can still kill Dib though, if you'd like._"

Tak smirked, switching hands so she could examine the penetrated one more thoroughly, fingers wiggling as she did so. "A promising idea, but no. Not _yet_ at least. We'll see how the rest of the day goes, though. With any luck, you'll get to make good on his promise."

"I see MiMi told you of our deal." Dib said, smiling, despite the fact Tak was debating about his murder with a robotic cat that seemed to both like and dislike him, depending on what was going on. "I'm assuming since I'm still alive you're feeling better?"

"Immensely," Tak admitted, but obviously reluctantly.

Dib paused, giving her time to gather her bearings. When he figured he'd waited long enough, he spoke cautiously. "Are you ready to be treated, or do you want to be sedated?"

Tak hissed at him at the same time MiMi did. His brow rose, even if he wasn't facing them and there was no need to react. Those two were so connected with one another sometimes it was almost creepy (but always unnerving). He'd have to ask Tak about it later, if someone at the Swollen Eyeball didn't end up asking her first.

"I'll take that as a no on the sedation. Is that a yes on the treatment though?"

Tak's eyes narrowed. "Turn around."

Dib was surprised, wearing a stunned and confused expression as he turned around to lock eyes with her. There was a moment of complete, still silence before Tak smirked at him.

"You looked twice, then?"

He flushed, remembering each time MiMi had glanced up as soon as his eyes glanced behind him, and then she was in front of him, slicing a thin line one his cheek and back before anyone besides himself was able to realize what had happened. He'd just been trying to see how Tak was doing! He hadn't been trying to do the typical male thing and peak on Tak while she was naked and being operated upon. Besides, there had been so many nurses he wouldn't have been able to see any of her body anyways.

Before he could respond she sighed, "Fall back, MiMi. These drones are simply doing their job."

MiMi did as she was instructed, darting to sit beside Tak.

From behind the glass, one-way mirror that covered the top half of the wall, like an interrogation room, the most esteemed of the Swollen Eyeball members watched the two communicate while the nurses worked. They were at an angle that kept them from seeing anything, not that they would've looked. They were far too busy to be stealing glances like teenage boys, even if Tak was obviously a looker.

And that was the topic of discussion for the moment.

"It's possible they're collecting the prettiest of the women on Earth to satisfy their desires." One of the shadows continued. "Little Sister is a beauty of a girl, or, a young woman now. Even if she refuses to admit or acknowledge it, her new husband certainly has by now. Especially with what Dib told us of the Irken mating terms. And with Tak, well, I think her experiences only confirm our suspicions."

"She hasn't made any accusations." One of them insisted. "It's possible her looks are just coincidence."

But none of them seemed to really believe that.

"Her attitude has changed." Agent Dark-Booty noted. Everyone was immediately attentive as he spoke, even if their eyes never left Tak, Dib, and MiMi as they conversed. "She isn't as shaky as she was when she arrived. In fact, she's rather bold."

"A bit of rest can do that to a person." One of them suggested. "Her brain has probably had time to process now."

"If only that damned cat would've back off, we could've done an X-ray." Said another, sighing in slight frustration.

Everyone's eyes immediately went to MiMi, who, surprisingly, was on Dib's shoulder now, flicking her tail rather harshly across his nose before darting back to Tak's side as she laughed. Dib held his nose, rubbing it in complaint. But he didn't actually look cross. It was like MiMi had lightly punched him on the shoulder, a playful form of violence, but definitely not a gentle one by the way Dib was tenderly touching his nose.

"She's probably traumatized." Dark-Booty insisted. "I'm surprised she's letting humans be so near her after not being around them for so long."

"Whose to say she wasn't?" A man growled, glaring at the cat as if it was the heart of the Irken Empire itself. "If Tak could be kidnapped without anyone having any idea, especially if Dib's suggestion about a brain-wipe was true, who's to say they didn't take more humans to try to 'train'?"

They all knew what he meant by 'train'. They suspected that the Irken Tallest, as Dib had informed they were called, were probably using humans to satisfy their needs, sexually, since, as far as Dib knew, there wasn't another female Tallest. And if rank applied to Irk, which it probably did, that meant that no other female was good enough.

The question was would another species, the best of the best, provide the necessary rank satisfaction?

Immediately everyone's eyes went to Tak, who was asking one of the nurses a question, it seemed, about what she was doing. The nurses. You really had to hand it to them. With all the stuff they put up with working here, protective cats and other things alike, it was shocking none of them had quit yet. They hardly flinched as MiMi zipped up again, at the baffling inhuman speed, nothing more then a blur of midnight blue, next to one of the women to hold one of the pieces of gauze a nurse was having trouble with. The nurse seemed to thank her, but of course, MiMi said nothing, as she, doubtless, didn't think gratitude was necessary for doing her job; helping her master.

"When do we question her?" Another agent asked, breaking the silence.

There was a pause. Tak's laughter was heard as Dib glanced over his shoulder, glaring at her, only to receive a warning growl from MiMi, who probably would have zipped over to abuse him again, had she not been holding the gauze in place. Immediately Dib turned around, in obvious pout to whatever remark Tak had made about him.

Finally, Agent Dark-Booty sighed. "This time, no mistakes. We refer to Dib about this. As far as membership goes, Dib has just been promoted to an official field agent instead of a volunteer."

* * *

*This is Zim, being introduced to what he considers abortion. Any of you want to bitch about it, go ahead, I will ignore you. But on Irk, smeets are not killed, they are all planned and placed into care upon conception. Imagine if you were him, only to find out members of an army (he was thinking about his species, not humans) were being killed off before they could prove themselves?

THIS IS DRAMATIC!

No?

Dib being promoted officially to a real agent. Will he be able to start a real rebellion now, without Gaz stopping him? Does he even still want to be a part of one?

Zim and Gaz, going off to see the Tallest. What sort of things do they have in store for her there? Will she be alright, or will this end badly?

Till the next chapter!


	25. Moving Again

My apologies for not putting reviews in the last chapter again! I was half-awake while doing that, dead tired, but determined to get you your updates on time!

Also, I am now moving them to every other day again, due to the fact . . . well, I am almost finished with the story.

Yes. I am that far ahead of you guys.

So be happy while I sob in the corner!

xoAmaxi

Chapter 24

Ffff, Zim and Gaz's conversations are so amusing. The shirt-to-the-face and the how-long-it-takes-to-undo-the-dress-thingy both made me laugh.  
I really like the idea of the pill; the life span difference between Zim and Gaz has always been something that slightly bothers me, knowing that Gaz would die loooong before Zim is one facts that made me a bit more of a ZaTr supporter. However, I'm honestly glad you've solved that problem. (:  
Same with the DaTr, now that Tak is human..  
This just works so well - Can't wait for the next chapter!

**Okay, I REALLY wanted to address this comment.**

**Actually, Tak was only changed on the outside. She still has the same life-span.**

**Meaning, another twist for later! :D Don't worry though, I have happy endings planned all around.**

KotaWingz

Chapter 24

Yay, Dib got a promotion! ^^ *cough cough* I must learn to better control my fangirliness.  
I like MiMi, she's pretty BA. It's a good thing she didn't let that guy take an x-ray! Great chapter, as always. :3

**Ikr? Woo! Phew! Dodged a bullet there!**

**And I love MiMi with a passion. If I was going to be any human-version of any IZ character, it would be MiMi.**

Invader Johnny

Chapter 24

Hi Raven!  
JSYK Jhonen Vasquez stated that while Zim is sixteen in Irken years he IS considered an adult and to prove that he said that Zim AND the Tallest ARE the same age.  
Which in Earth years would be 159.  
Anyways, as always great chapter, it was certanly quite the call Zim had from his leaders, it was probably the first time in a long, LONG while that he spoke to them without any real hatred on the Tallest part.  
So things did went well.  
Zim really gets more bafeled with each thing Gaz has to explain to him huh?  
Sooner or later he HAS to learn more sensity topics od  
f Earth if he IS going to rule it!  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**OMG, THANK YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I thought Zim was a totally different age (okay I made it up -_-) but thank you for making my story just a little bit more accurate!**

**I, sir, am in much appreciation to you forever.**

***bows eccentrically and respectfully***

Torrasque666

Very nice. I do love your work, frankly one of the best I've seen. I know this might not make it into the comments section of the next one but even so.  
TALLY-HO AGAINST THE IDIOTS OF THE WORLD!

**LOL.**

**I prove you wrong. Now you can be happy. ^_^**

R1NGmasterJ5

Chapter 23

I just read this entire series in a day. And, I have to say, I am shocked.  
Shocked that in-character IZ romance actually EXISTS. Forgive me for going into rant mode here, but the IZ shipping fics I have read so far have greatly disturbed me. If the characters aren't falling over each other in love by the halfway point of the fic, there's OCs. My god, the OC fics. Fics where Zim wants the OC to literally teach him sex ed, or ones that have Dib and the OC making out by the third chapter. And don't even get me started on the grammar...  
You kept them in-character, took almost fifteen chapters of development to actually have them be a couple, and almost another THIRTY for actual sex, so thank you. Seriously, thank you. And thanks to TVTropes(and UpsidePickle) for reccommending this great fic series to me.  
(Also, you(r fic does) have a TVTropes page. It spoils the Iggins reveal, though. I'll fix it in the morning.)

**GAH! All you people reading my stories in one day; HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?**

**The romance thing: I know, right? I never thought of it, EVER, until my sister found it. Which was ZADR, actually (BLECH) and with some youtube surfing, we discovered ZAGR and after a little consideration, decided that would actually make a LOT of sense, world-ruling-wise, so I started looking up fics about it. The romance thing would be hard to get to but it was possible, under the right circumstances. Actually, the reason I started this story is because not many out there really portrayed their relationship as I thought it would develop.**

**Speaking of which . . .**

**Ahem, I _HATE_ THOSE STORIES WHERE THEY DO THAT LOVEY-DOVEY SHIT! ZIM AND GAZ ARE TOO BADASS FOR THAT STUMBLING, AWKWARD, UNCOMFORTABLE TEENAGE LOVE! ZIM IS A RUTHLESS, PSYCHOTIC ALIEN! HE DOESN'T GIVE A FUCK! HE COULD HAVE ALL THE FUCKS IN THE WORLD, AND YOU ONLY NEEDED ONE FUCK TO SAVE YOUR LIFE, AND HE WOULD NOT GIVE YOU ONE AND LAUGH AS YOU PLUMMETTED TO YOUR DOOM! AND GAZ? _Really_? Are you KIDDING ME? You think ZIM didn't give a fuck, psh, Gaz will take your fucks from you!**

**. . . . **

**. . . .**

**:D**

**Sorry bout that. That is just one of my pet peeves, the whole sex-ed things and the awkwardness. It's not only over-used, it's just the lazy, easy way to go into plot development. DIB is awkward. Zim and Gaz are the graceful, silent, deadly menisses of the world and deserve to be portrayed as such.**

**Also, the TVTropes page. Would you mind sending that to me in the reviews (since I am special, and have yet to figure out PMing -_-)? I would really appreciate it, as I am impaired when it comes to searching for things and could not find it.**

**I am also squealing at the fact my fic is being mentioned in so many places.**

ngrey651

Chapter 23

Heh, you ask why do I read if I dislike things Zim and Gaz do? Well...it's like Looney Tunes. Daffy Duck and Bugs and Elmer and Sylvester and the like tend to be preeeetty bad role models, but hey! They're HILARIOUS to watch. I can really enjoy the hilarity that results from watching Bugs outsmart somebody, just like I can enjoy the way Zim and Dib bounce off each other. Don't get me wrong, the motivations of a character mean quite a lot, but I won't totally disregard all potential a character can have just because they're, well, kinda jerks. (Shrugs)  
I don't really mind ZAGR or ZADR or any other type of romance. What I care about, well and truly...is a good story. And characters that, in the end...make me care about them. If they can do that...then I'll be truly happy with the work an author's made, because when you care about a character, they become, well, more "real" than the people you pass in the street every day. You know more about them than the guy down the lane, you worry over what will happen to them next. Does that make any sense or am I just rambling?

**No, no, I get you. I gotcha.**

**Well, I apologize if my story isn't like that. I have a strange brain that interprets things in strange, normally unsympathetic ways. It just never made sense to me to put a bunch of heart-felt moment in my fic because they never really fit anywhere or were appropriate at any times. Like Zim comforting Gaz and Dib and Gaz parting at the wedding, THAT is my kind of 'compassionate moments'. Mainly this story is drama, coupling, twists and (rarely, because I hate writing it -_-) action.**

**I sincerely hope you never pass someone like Zim or Gaz in the street though.**

**If you happened to run into them by accident or glance at them casually and get caught doing so, I would never recieve another review for you, or at least, would not get one for a while. :(**

**Because you would most likely be dead, in a hopsital, or permanently hiding under your bed after the reaction you would recieve from their one of them, or both, at the same time.**

**But like I said; hopes you don't ever really encounter them! :D**

mangamichelle12

Chapter 23

Awesome next chapter but why did they believe dib so easy after all he had done?

**Because they're stupid and desperate and Dib is all they've got left.**

**Yay for no other choices!**

ForceWalker

Chapter 23

Poor Dib! He's found out that Gaz planned the whole takeover! That has to be a big shot to the heart!  
And now the Swollen Eyeball hsa returned! And Dib and Tak are forced to go with them! Now this is going to be interesting!  
Now I know that the Group is over, but is there any chance we'll see Tip, Tine, and Gretchen in the story again? I love the twins, and see Gretchen's reactions to Dib and Tak's relationships were great, and I was kinda hoping to see her go psycho on Tak just to make sure Dib is hers.

**Probably not. :( Sorry.**

**I might put what ends up happening to those guys, but, I'm not sure.**

**So we'll see, kay? :)**

ninjacookie101

Chapter 23

I was laughing so hard at the reviews that my mom came in to check I wasn't having a coughing spree. XD Update on! *salutes back*

**YES! I WAS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD SALUTE BACK!**

**I am now a happy girl. ^_^**

**And I'm always glad to know I'm making someone laugh with my absurd little sense of humor.**

Captor of the Crazies

Chapter 23

Damn! Wish Dibbers implanted some sort of spy bug on Gaz, I'd love to pick up on where they left off before they were, to my dismay, RUDELY interuppted! The pervy pupils command my looking holes to read ZAGR smut! Especially since I've slurped up every word of the last steaming chapter I've licked the ladle/whisk/stirring spoon of every drop! In other words, I have re-read it numerous times and I still. Find. It. Hot! :D an entire room of flying college graduate's hats to you Echo,(heehee, my mistake in typing flower!) great chapter as ALWAYS, glad I kept ya laUghing

**Yeah, I'll just be over here . . . crying from laughing so hard . . .**

**XD**

**Try not to get your computer screen all saliva-y. (thumbs up)**

KotaWingz

Chapter 23

Heh, I pulled a Mini-Moose in my story as well. Someone asked why Mini-Moose wasn't in the story and I was like...  
Oh yeah... him...  
Then Zim wound up pulling Mini-Moose out of his PAK, thus explaining where the little purple moose had been. :3  
Another great chapter! I like reading about Dib and Tak. Poor Dibbers... That would suck to find out your sibling was trying to take over the world and had lied to you about it.

**I actually had a legit conversation with my sisters about if they found out I was like a witch hell-bent on taking over the world, for whatever reason, would they be mad and they were like, "Eh . . . I guess it depends WHY."**

**As was the inspiration for Dib; he may be sad and confused, but he is a person who needs answers before he draws conclusions.**

It's morning again.

**Please note I do not care much for accuracy in my geography! So long as the point gets across, I don't care! And this is Invader Zim world, where the president is called Presidentman and what not.**

**You really think it matters if I say Europe has a queen, whether it does or not?**

Also, the poll. Only 12 people voted.

It's going offline soon, guys, so if you haven't voted and give a damn about my next story, now is the time to have your say in it!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 25  
"Moving Again"**

"We're . . . moving?" Her brow rose. "Why?"

"I'm stationing us in Europe." Zim replied, not facing her as he typed. He'd offered for her to go off and explore the area a bit more, but she had declined, as that would mean walking around with Gir as her escort. "This country is too fascinated by us to be a threat. However, if I am correct, Europe hates America for some reason, and so we need to ensure the demographic in multiple areas. And if popularity fails, then there's always the fear factor."

"So, when do we leave then? _How_ do we leave actually is the better question." She said, correcting herself as she sat up on the desk next to him, shifting her legs to make herself more comfortable and using them to prop up her elbow, leaning her head on her hand and watching him work. "Are you leaving your little fortress here and making a new one or are we taking it with us?"

"We're leaving it here. You never know if we'll be needing to move back, and it gives us something stationary for the humans to remind them whose in charge of them." Zim replied, smirking. "Actually, we're moving in with some humans, ones that, if we treat them properly, will help the humans adjust."

"Let me guess." Gaz said, rolling her eyes. "We're moving to a castle?"

Zim just smirked, refusing to look at her.

"And we're letting the royalty stay?"

"Only the most important." Zim informed her. "But they'll be moving into different quarters, the lesser ones. And the servants will be staying as well. We'll use their courtyard for their army, since they were just converted yesterday. A bit messier then this country's and Japans, but it worked smoothly."

"What about the defense system?"

"I'm sending Skoodge to make the adjustments on the grounds in about an hour. I'm just fixing some of the security codes, to ensure they're fool-proof." He assured her, pulling up a new file, scrolling through it quickly before going back to the start and typing on his keyboard. "What do you think of that, though? You're going to be meeting _former_ royalty, outrank them even."

Her brow rose. "Former?"

"Well, they can have all the titles they like, but it gives them no power whatsoever. However, if it makes everyone feel better, so be it." Zim said with a shrug.

Gaz smirked, wondering how exactly they would be delivered. Then, her smile disappeared, and her face became quiet.

". . . How much time do you have left?"

He froze.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

"It's . . . easy to forget that I should be dying." Zim said, laughing weakly. "We've got 2 months. And all that's left is for Europe to submit fully and a few smaller countries."

"You're positive about that?" Gaz pressed, crossing her legs. It was a nervous habit, one not even she was aware of.

"Zim will be fine, Gaz." He insisted, using one hand to finish what he was working on. Then he turned to her fully, mock-glaring at her as he placed his hands firmly on her hips, standing up. Zim trailed a hand up the inside of her thigh, uncrossing her legs forcibly.

She smirked at him.

He sighed in slight aggravation. "Zim can never get any work done with you around."

"That depends on the kind of work your talking about."

He groaned. Even through his gloves he could feel how warm her skin was around her thighs, like always. He removed it, placing that hand safely on her hip instead, resting his forehead against hers.

"I will be with you in a moment." He told her, glancing up from her lap to lock eyes with her. "Go to our room, so I can finish this."

Gaz shrugged, smirking at him. "I don't know. I kind of like it up here. It's pretty comfortable."

She demonstrated by readjusting her position, inadvertently spreading her legs a bit more while doing so. Zim hissed at her, the grip on her hips tightening a noticeable amount. Gaz had every intention of leaving, but this was pretty hilarious to her. Being unable to be around and intimidate people daily, making Zim squirm constantly was every bit as satisfying (if not more when he caved) to her.

"You insufferable little vixen," He growled, bringing her closer to him, making her straddle him. She could see his arms shaking a little, resisting. "As much as I would _love_ to take you at this moment, I'd rather not soil this room in that way. I wouldn't be able to enter it again without smelling the pheromones and then I would REALLY never get any work done because every time I came in, I'd just have to leave to go find you again."

Gaz snickered. It was funny to her how sensitive he was to this whole 'sex' (or 'mating' thing, depending on who you asked). He was babbling, distracting himself, and she doubted he knew it.

"Alright, _fine_," She said with a light-hearted  
sigh, smiling at him as she got off the counter. "When do we leave?"

"Mm," he glanced at the clock in the corner of his lab. "A few hours. So we probably will have to continue when we're on the ship because I_ definitely_ won't be done with you by then."

He received a slap on the back of the head for that, but he just laughed, and she stalked out of the room. Zim turned back to his work, finishing the last of it quickly (and accurately) before closing the program, snickering to himself all the way towards the bedroom*.

* * *

"Gah!" Dib shouted, immediately holding a hand up to cover his eyes. "Geez, Tak! You said come in!"

Tak looked at him over her shoulder, the back portion of her body completely exposed as she sat on the table and watched television. "Yes. _And_?"

"**_Ugh_**, MiMi? A little help?" Dib asked, peeking through his fingers and only at the cat.

Curious to see her reaction, Tak glanced to her companion, who glared at Dib. But a moment later, MiMi had picked up the second blanket and draped it over Tak's shoulders before going back to her original position.

Dib sighed in relief. "Alright, Tak, I know you don't identify with your body, but if you let people keep walking in on you like that, eventually, someone is going to start taking advantage of that."

Tak shrugged. "MiMi will kill anyone before they are able to form ill-intentioned thoughts of me. Now what do you want?"

"The Swollen Eyeball wanted me to tell you that you're welcome to stay as long as you like." Dib replied, begrudgingly, irritated by her nonchalant attitude about her nudity. "I think they're trying to make you feel comfortable here before they start asking you questions."

"Why would they need to ask _me_ questions?" Tak questioned, a brow rising. "Aren't _you_ giving them information?"

Dib glanced away. "I-."

"Let me guess," Tak interrupted, boredly. "You're too wrapped up in your sister to make a decision?"

He didn't reply.

Tak rolled her eyes. "You humans are so emotional when it comes to your choices."

"Excuse me for being myself," Dib shot back. "And what do you mean '_you_ humans'? Last I checked, you're human too!"

She huffed, glaring at him. "Shut up."

Dib smirked his triumph, but didn't press the subject further. "There's someone that wants to meet you soon, by the way."

"Oh?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Feeling her tense, MiMi was on her feet at once, glaring at Dib. "And who would that be?"

"My dad. Maybe you've heard of him. His name is Dr. Membrane, sometimes called Professor Membrane."

They both froze.

Subconsciously, Tak's hand went to her shoulder, touching the tip of one of the black scars that ran across her back. With her back to Dib, he didn't see how wide her eyes got then. But he did see how unnerved MiMi looked and from what Dib had deduced, MiMi was unnaturally in tune with Tak and her feelings. So if MiMi was freaked, it was likely Tak was.

"Tak?" He stepped towards her cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"Stop asking me that!" She shrieked, her eyes shutting tightly before she let out an unheard breath, turning around and glaring at him. "Fine. When does he want to meet me?"

"Uh," Dib blinked away his surprise at her shout, shaking his head before replying. "Whenever you're ready to have more then me and some nurses around."

Tak looked up at the ceiling. "If I'm going to meet a professor, then I would prefer to be clothed."

"Oh so _now_ you have shame!"

"Shut up." She ordered, rolling her eyes at his teasing tone. "Just go make yourself useful for once and get me some clothes."

Dib laughed, but he was still wary. Why would Tak be so freaked out about meeting his dad? He shrugged, realizing it was probably because not only was his father known world-wide for his smarts, but she probably figured he wouldn't be as easy to trick as the Swollen Eyeball. Little did she know that Dib knew from experience how ignorant his dad could be but he'd just have to slip that bit of information to her later.

MiMi waited to speak until Dib's footsteps had faded down the hallway, looking up seriously at her Master. "_Do you think he noticed?_"

"_I . . . don't know._" Tak admitted. "_If he didn't say anything, he's either using it as a subject to talk about later, in private, or he's dumber then we suspected_."

"_What do you want to do?_"

Tak bit her lip, pausing as she thought. MiMi waited anxiously, her master's hands running over her holographic ears as she pondered.

"_I guess . . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens._"

* * *

Gaz ignored Zim's hand running up and down her thigh, having pushed her dress up to do so as they sat in the ship, heading towards Europe.

Gir and Minnie-Moose had gone ahead with Skoodge. Zim had ordered Gir to be on his absolute best behavior, or he was going to take his pig away. But if he was good, he'd get him a pen of pigs to play with. Gir's eyes had flashed red after he'd let out a squeal of joy and had saluted, stalking obediently off after where Skoodge had gone off to. Minnie-Moose had just bobbed obediently after both of them.

Zim smirked at her, the other hand driving. "I told you I wouldn't be done with you when we had to leave."

"I have a feeling you'll never be done with me," she informed him sarcastically.

He laughed, removing his hand and pushing the fabric back down. "Fair enough."

Zim settled with holding her hand instead, periodically bringing her slender pale hand to his mouth and kissing it before placing it back between them. Gaz fixed her dress back down, smoothing out the creases with her free hand. This one was a deep magenta color, strapless, cinching at the waist and draping to the floor in a silky material from there. Around her shoulder was a dark red, almost black cloak, since it was supposed to be cold. It was made of heavy material and attached at the neck with a silver pendant of the Irken Empire insignia, obviously a custom piece Zim had made.

"Nervous?" He asked, noticing her finger twitch for the second time now.

Gaz snorted at the absurdity of the idea. "I've never been out of the country. I'm just curious is all."

"Anxious," Zim corrected, grinning. "You're excited, aren't you?"

"No." She said at once, her voice as monotonous as ever.

He turned towards her a bit more in his chair, smirking at her now, eyes alight with mirth. "You _are_, aren't you?"

She glared at him. "_No_, I'm not. Traveling is just boring as hell."

"Well, unfortunately we don't have enough room to make this an _interesting_ travel." Zim said, suggestively, receiving a more severe glare from Gaz. He laughed it off and continued to elaborate. "And we'll be there in a few minutes time anyways. Not much to be done in that amount of time except make me anxious."

"Well then that would make _one_ of us."

He smirked at her. "Well played."

The rest of the few minutes were spent in silence, one of Zim's fingers rubbing her palm gently, subconsciously. She glanced down at his gloved hand and then back to his face, wondering how the hell her life had lead her here.

He removed his hand from hers to land, in the middle of a field. Gaz saw another ship, one that he parked next to. It was smaller then Zim's so it was probably Skoodge's. The serious height difference between the two made it easier for her to see how Zim's culture placed people with any height so high up on the food chain.

They hood popped up, releasing fog from underneath the ship, quickly engulfing their vision in it. Gaz waved her hand in front of her face, feeling Zim grip her around the waist and lift her out from his vehicle. She tried to see anything through the foggy mist his stupid machine had expelled, but no such luck. The only thing keeping her moving was Zim, who was leading her away (or so she assumed; for all she knew, they were walking in a circle) from the Voot Runner. She heard the hydraulics as it shut automatically behind them, even emitting a beep to let them know it was locked, something she had to snort at.

Zim led her, arm placed casually around her waist, out of the fog. Eventually it began to thin and she could see a group of people ahead. She narrowed her eyes in an attempt to see them but even with her excellent eye-sight, she could not. However, as Zim used a PAK appendage (he was close enough to where she could at least see what _he_ was doing) to pull her hood over her head and hide her in complete shadow, she became curious. Wasn't the public already aware of what she looked like? If so, why was he hiding her from them?

As they approached, Gaz's hands clutched the openings of the cloak together to hide herself (even though she still didn't know why) further. She could feel the arm Zim had around her tighten, every so slightly, in a protective manner. It was putting Gaz on edge.

The shadows were becoming infinitely clearer now, forming into actual shapes of separate people instead of a blob of darker gray then the misty haze. Gaz added that to the list of things she had to ask Zim about for later; Why the hell was there so much of this damned stuff?

Finally the last of it cleared away, just as they became within a reasonable distance. About seven feet separated them and Zim stopped, arm still protectively around Gaz.

The people before them all had stoic, nervous faces, but were clearly trying to hide their slight apprehension and fear. They were trying to be diplomatic and brave, a rather ridiculous notion since their government didn't exist anymore. It was dissolved the minute they signed over their allegiance. What was the point of this facade of power they were still trying to dawn?

Skoodge marched forward until he was only a few feet away, bowing low to Zim, who was garbed in slightly more than his standard Invader uniform. He wore a red, vibrant and sharp-looking coat with pointed shoulders, trailing to his knees and curling out at the ends in a dramatic fashion. Gaz eyed him, completely hidden beneath the hood. She resisted a hiss of irritation when the two began conversing in Irken again.

"_Have the proper adjustments been made?_"

"_These people are completely isolated from the civilians, and vice versa. Only if they decide to leave the grounds forever can they exit the force-field._"

"_Has that been explained to them?_"

At that moment, a figure cried out in joy, darting from behind the crowd and rushing them. It darted up in front of Gaz, beaming at her, making Zim almost smile at the display, but he resisted. It was clear Gir had a favorite among them, but he hardly minded. The only affection he took seriously was Gaz's. If _she_ had a favorite besides him, then he would get upset, but as that was not the case, he hardly minded. Gaz reached down gracefully and picked up Gir in a fluid motion, placing him on her shoulder. He slid down, onto her back, happily grinning at her. Zim was the only one close enough to see it, but a small smile appeared on her face.

"_I was going to leave that to you._" Skoodge replied respectfully, averting his eyes from the SIR unit and back to Zim. "_The force-field is on, it's just invisible. I also left it to you to make it visible._"

"_Very good,_" Zim appraised, glancing up at the group of about a dozen people before looking down again. "_And how are **they** reacting to all of this?_"

"_They seem to detest you. Or, at least, the idea of being overthrown so easily._"

"_And what of Gaz? What do they think of her?_"

"_I recommend you continue to leave her as an enigma, sir._" Skoodge said, eyes darting behind him before looking back at his superior. "_I think they dislike her on the principal that you are her 'husband' and she your 'wife'. If I were you, I would keep her hidden, or at least with a cloak on, like she is now. Even if they have already seen her on the news, they haven't seen her in person. Having her around more openly could potentially threaten her safety by making her less of a background character and more of your partner in the eyes of these people. They might attempt to harm her. Even if she can take care of herself, sir-!_"

"_No, I understand._" Zim interrupted, nodding thoughtfully. "_I will examine this for myself, to confirm your deduction. But until then, I will take your advice. Thank you, Invader Skoodge._"

"Sir!" Skoodge shouted, saluting and stepping to the side.

Gaz made a relieved noise, only audible to Zim, that they were speaking in a language she could understand now. Zim placed his hand on her waist again and after a few muted orders from Gaz, Gir slid off of her back, standing obediently next to Skoodge.

_Shy_, Gaz reminded herself, head inclining towards the ground as they walked. _Innocent and shy._

She figured if she just didn't talk and kept her head down, then that would work.

Zim smirked at the people as they approached, covering about half of the distance between them before stopping again.

"Greetings, humanoids." He said, nodding his head at them. "What a, eh, _pleasure_ to be meeting you."

The title-stripped people bowed/curtsied in return.

"The pleasure is ours, _Emperor_." The eldest woman replied, seeming to represent them.

Gaz glanced up, eyes disguised under the hood, to really examine the people she would be living with, but probably not seeing for a while. She had a feeling that, from the way Zim was acting, he'd be confining her to a segmented part of their new home for a while. There were not quite a dozen people, but eleven was close enough. A young girl, maybe ten years old; three men, varying for thirty to forty; three women, about the same age as the men; an elderly couple (the old woman being the one to have spoken to Zim), one woman probably just in her twenties and a teenage boy, probably 17. The youngest little girl looked a bit frightened and one of the women, probably her mother, kept her hands on her shoulders, keeping her fairly close.

"I hope you don't feel trapped here," Zim continued, ignoring her bitter tone. "If you wish to leave at any point, I can arrange for you to be moved. However, I accept that this is where you are most comfortable at. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like, maybe even live out the rest of your lifespan, but I will warn you, should you prove to be particularly troublesome, you _will_ be removed. I'm not here to execute any of you, though, and would hope to avoid that. You humans are so used to pointless killing, but I intend to only take lives when it is most necessary. Is this clear to all of you?"

They all nodded, even the little girl, who, for some reason, Gaz was very curious about. She eyed the three youngest, the little girl, the young woman, and the boy carefully. The older girl was holding one of the little girls hands, probably her sister or cousin. The boy looked about as angsty as the average boy, and Gaz nearly smirked at the thought. Apparently manners couldn't solve everything. He gave Zim an unmasked look of loathing, one Zim seemed to notice, but chose to ignore. She made note to break him later, not physically, but mentally. Now that she had people to terrify again, she could already feel her nerves relaxing, but only slightly, as she still wasn't sure why Zim was so wary here.

"Good. I will brief you now about the changes to your home that will be made," Zim said, holding up a remote Skoodge handed to him. "For example; I have already modified your security system, since your guards have been, well, _altered _and are no longer guarding your home."

He hit the button.

At once Gaz saw the familiar bubble surround the house, making the family give gasps and shouts of surprise. The little girl looked awed, too innocent to have formed an opinion on whether is was evil or not.

"That," Zim continued. "Is the new defense system. Which is why I said I'd make _arrangements_ for you to leave. That is impenetrable, as far as _you_ are concerned, both ways, leaving or entering. So, as I stated before, if any of you wish to leave, please notify me beforehand. Also, this field, for example, will be used as training grounds. The more delicate of your courtyards will remain for your leisure, but the rougher terrain is now off-limits, something I'm sure you won't be disagreeable about. Also, as I'm aware you have already moved to the second highest level of the house on the opposite side, I will recommend you stay on that side. As we speak those rooms are being converted, rooms you will no longer have access to. A whole segment of the house is going to be inaccessible to you, so I recommend you do not waste your time trying to get in. Even if, by some miracle, you _do_ get in, you won't be able to understand any of what you find, you _will_ be caught, and then you will be forced to leave the area effective immediately. Is this also understood?"

Once again they nodded.

"You are free to roam about, then." Zim replied, looking down. "Invader Skoodge; Gir."

"Sir?"

"Mastah?"

He gestured to Gaz. "Please take her to my quarters while I address the public. She's been feeling ill since this morning."

"Aw," Gir said sympathetically, moving in front of Gaz again (who by now was fairly confused; she knew perfectly well she was not ill, which meant he was trying to keep her from the public; another thing he was keeping from her she noted with irritation) to look up at her with wide, sad eyes. "Is Gazzy not feeling well?"

"We'll take her at once, Sir." Skoodge said, bowing to Zim and glancing nervously at Gaz before looking at the floor. "Eh, this way, Your Highness."

Zim turned her to him a moment, cupping her face gingerly in one hand. Her brow rose, eyes narrowing since only he could see them. But he just smiled at her apologetically, a silent promise that he would tell her later. Her harsher glare replied, in turn, 'you'd better' and he resisted a laugh, though it tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he released her. Gaz turned away from him, Gir having reached up and taking her hand in his, pulling her away. Gaz smirked at the little robot, following at his pace (that thankfully was just a leisurely walk) as Skoodge walked ahead of both of them.

Zim shook his head, amused, as he watched her leave. He turned back to the family before him.

"You'll have to excuse me, as well." He gestured to the lot. "You may go do whatever it is you normally do at this time of day. Your servants are still of free mind and will listen to what you ask of them. You might even make friends with them, now that you are almost on the same terms."

He couldn't help but add that last remark and turned away, resisting the urge to laugh to himself.

* * *

Gaz eyed the numbers Skoodge was pressing in on the keypad.

"This is just locking it," He informed her. "You, Gir, Minnie-Moose, myself and Zim can come and go from here and back as much as we'd like, but everyone else cannot, once I turn this on."

He hit a button, and another bubble-shield appeared, very visible, and pink, like the bigger one surrounding the whole estate.

Skoodge gestured for her to go ahead of him.

Gaz stepped through with Gir, expecting some type of minimal resistance, but there was none. Skoodge followed and Gaz wondered where Minnie-Moose was, exactly. She guessed he was probably bobbing around somewhere. Gaz was surprised to find herself hoping he didn't run into those three children (although one of them could very well be a few years older then her) and frightening them. She made a face, wondering why she was so curious about them.

Maybe being away from people around her age and younger for so long was getting to her.

She shook it off as Gir spoke.

"Guess what, Mistress?" Gir asked, excitedly. "I gots a room with Minnie-Moose now! It's got toys and stuff in it!"

Well, that explained where the absent little minion was.

"Oh?" Gaz asked, a brow rising and she pretended to be interested, to humor Gir. "Sounds fun."

"It is! It is!" Gir shouted with excitement.

"So, what were you and Zim talking about?" Gaz asked, looking at Skoodge as non-threatening as she could. She wasn't sure why, but Skoodge clearly got spooked by her easily, probably because she was so imposing, but he didn't give answers when he was scared and that would do her no good right now.

Skoodge glanced up, relaxing a bit at her expression. "Zim was discussing what would be safest for you. He wants you to stay on this side of the castle, since he doesn't trust the people here yet."

"That explains the extra force-field." She noted, glancing back to see it disappear out of their line of vision as they turned the corner.

He nodded. "A precaution he told me to take before I left, in case my findings on the population proved untrustworthy."

Gaz couldn't help but think about the little girl again, and wonder what exactly was threatening about this family. Then she remembered the son (or so she assumed) and decided Zim was probably just covering his tracks, just in case. No doubt he knew she could handle herself but this probably just made him a bit more comfortable.

"Oh," She replied.

He led her down a few more turns before coming to a large, oval-shaped room that centered around large, double doors.

"It's been modified to look like your old one, for the most part." Skoodge informed her, making no move to enter even the room before the bedroom and taking Gir's hand, in a subtle gesture meant for her to have private time. "I trust you can handle things from here?"

Gaz rather liked Skoodge, or, at least, as much as she could like someone who wasn't family or Zim. He was very sure of her abilities, even if he had probably never seen them before. Even as the member of an advanced race, an Invader (even if he _was_ working under another Invader), who knew perfectly well she was not stupid and let her have as much freedom as Zim's orders allowed.

She nodded, taking her leave, letting the door scan her hand before entering.

It did look relatively the same, except it was a bit bigger, at a different angle and the balcony view was obviously different. Gaz decided not to drop her hood as she shut the door behind her, heading directly for that balcony. She went to the very railings, looking out at the backyard to get a view of her new home. She could see a maze, a garden, a courtyard, multiple patios and a forest. She could also see a few of those 'off-limits' terrain spots.

"Alright," she muttered to herself, running her fingers across the soft material of the cloak. "Might as well get used to this while we're here, I guess."

"Hey-!"

Gaz's head snapped in the direction of the faint shout, a brow rising, glad she had decided to leave her hood on.

She saw those three kids again, staring up at her. The boy was the one to have spoken, and the older girl was covering his mouth, in an attempt to silence him probably. They each already noticed her head in their direction though. Gaz wasn't quite sure what to do. They all looked so damned terrified, save for the boy, who looked determined and angry. Typical reaction. Geez, did this kid ever smile? Probably, just not at intruders to his home.

With lack of anything else to do, Gaz lifted one of her hands and waved, once, just to see how they'd react.

The two older looked at each other, not quite sure what to do, apparently. She smiled, only because she was well aware they had no chance of seeing it. What a well thought out plan it seemed they had after getting her attention.

However, the little girl stepped forward, raising her hand to wave hesitantly, and then beaming and laughing as only children could, waving enthusiastically at her back. Gaz's eyes widened with surprise. Definitely not the reaction she had been expecting.

The older girl went and grabbed her shoulder, kneeling and saying quick words to her. The little girl's face fell, looking at the girl who was probably her older sister or cousin (Gaz was going to ask Zim about who these people were, whenever he returned to their room) with an expression that was saddened and clearly did not understand. The small child's head turned back towards Gaz, who was still watching them, able to guess along the lines of what they were saying. She was probably getting told to 'stay away from the Emperor's wife'. Which really didn't make any sense, since _they_ were the ones to have shouted at _her_ in the first place.

The girl looked back up at Gaz, wide blue eyes hurt but with undeniable curiosity. Gaz smirked underneath her hood and just waved again.

At once the boy was scowling at her. She didn't really know why, her head tilting to the side in curiosity as she watched his face contort into a clear mask of hatred. For the sole purpose of being obnoxious, she gave him a thumbs up. He seemed embarrassed at the sudden attention and her notice of his anger, only making him all the more pissed off. The eldest girl shot him a look, probably saying something along the lines of 'that's what you get!' and he scowled angrily at the floor. The little girl laughed.

Gaz felt quite accomplished. She'd been here, what, twenty minutes, and she was already playing some of these people like a game? Well, now that she thought about it, that was nice, since her hand-held had disappeared in their constant moving quite some time ago. Thinking back, she figured it had probably blown up with the plane.

Bringing her attention back to the children still eying her warily, she decided to leave them alone, for now. Gaz was a bit out of practice at the moment and needed some time to figure out what she was going to do with these new playthings.

She turned around upon hearing the door open, completely ignoring the children below, to see Zim closing the door behind him. She smiled at him and he smirked seductively at her, approaching her slowly.

"What are you doing out on the balcony?" He asked her, walking across the room, arms folded behind his back.

Gaz glanced down at the three again, unable to resist a smirk. "Playing."

As soon as Zim appeared on the banister next to her, a brow rising in curiosity and slight confusion, the three of them backed off at once, heading towards the maze. This time the small girl showed genuine fear, the boy seethed, and the eldest shot worried glances over her shoulder. Zim chuckled at their reactions to him, shaking his head as the couple watched them hurry away.

"Already scaring the locals," Zim laughed, turning to look at her. "I see you haven't wasted any time making yourself comfortable."

Gaz batted her lashes at him from under the hood. "Of course." Then she looked back at their retreating figures. "And they weren't scared until _you_ showed up. I was simply antagonizing the boy."

"Ah, yes, my research shows he can have quite the temper." Zim said, nodding.

She looked at him. "Who are they?"

"Eh, let's see." His eyes raised to the overhang of roofing that covered the balcony. "The boy's name is Tyler, I believe. He just turned 17 I think. The girl, who is 19, is named Penelope. The little girl is about 9 and her name is Estelle, or something like that. Maybe Stella, I don't quite know for sure."

"I thought you were supposed to have excellent memory," Gaz retorted challengingly, a brow rising as the three finally disappeared in the maze.

"It's rather hard to think with you standing so close to me," he explained, with a smirk, leading her back into the room. "Tell me; why are you so curious about them?"

Gaz glanced over shoulder. "They're the youngest. The easiest to play with."

Zim laughed again, shutting the doors and closing the curtains. Gaz removed her cloak, tossing it aside, on one of the chairs in the room. That was one of the changes she had noticed; they was a couch, two chairs, and a coffee table off near the balcony doors. For the most part everything else was relatively the same, which she hardly minded.

Gaz was never one for a whole lot of change when it came to renovations of a room.

Zim wrapped his arms around her from behind, inhaling her scent through his mouth and kissing along her shoulders. "What do you think of this place?"

"Infinitely more entertaining then the other," Gaz said to him, smirking.

"If you were bored, you could've just _told me_," Zim informed her bluntly. "I would've brought in servants or something for you to play with."

"Well I could hardly be bored with you jumping me every ten minutes," Gaz retorted.

He chuckled, tightening his grip around her. "True."

* * *

*Geez, they have sex in like, every chapter. Even if I'm not describing it, seriously. Newlyweds. What're you going to do?

I'm curious:  
**How do you all like Tyler, Penelope, and Estelle/Stella? Would you care if Gaz playing with them ends up being a small part of the story? **I've already got a few scenes planned out but, if not, they'll go into my folder of deleted scenes. (Like this is a movie or something -_-)

And they moved again. To Europe. Which may or may not have a queen.

BUT TOO DAMN BAD!

This isn't a historical event. Who cares if it's accurate or not? I don't want to put real people in ths story, that's just weird.

Till the next chapter!


	26. A Nightmare Unresolved

Comments!

Torrasque666

Chapter 25

Me lovey. Your writings give fanfics a good name, which my girlfriend doesn't believe due to all the crap out there. And yes, I would enjoy the children as a subplot. What can I say, I love a family, even if it is a total cobbled mess of non-related(even legally) people. Speaking of which, your work is what I base my style on when I work on my personal subplot in a communal Gotcha Force fanfic.(Its a fun video game that was undermarketed) If I were to send you a sample of my work, could you provide me with some feedback?

**O.o**

**Me . . . Help you with your story? . . . Well, I don't know, I'll have to think about it-YES! OF FREAKING COURSE! I would love the opportunity to help a fellow author.**

**Unfortunately though, if you are okay with this, I have never heard of Gotcha Force, so I would be unable to help you with accuracy or things like that. If you want the general FEELING or wording of a story, I can definitely help ya there.**

**So definitely! (Btw, my PM is finally on, for anyone who wants ta know)**

**Yay for me for figuring that out! ^_^**

TimIsaFunSucker

Chapter 25

I know what you mean about geography and such. Too much to remember. But, I do know that Englad has a Queen/Royal family, but they have little to no political power, and they elect a Prime Minister, which is sort of like a president. Damn I listen to my mom and her political shows way too much. -.- also, "I've never been out of country," BITCH, YOU WENT TO SPACE! Sorry, I was in Memebase-Mode. o.O

**LMAO!**

**Lol, yes, but that took like, two seconds! This is taking HOURS! blech!**

**And cool. Unintentional accuracy. ^_^**

fairychix26

Chapter 25

Hey so i am healed enough to write a review now um first ur lemon i would like to say it was amasing now i don't go around the site looking for lemons like someone i know but if i am reading a well writen story that loglicly leads up to one then i will read it and yours was verry good even in the lemon you kept charcters in charcter and u didn't use lines like well frankly like twilight. ok seccond in book one you had to use a robot Gaz to send to i think astralia (i just spelled that wrong but whatever) and i believe Gaz said that they often went on travel with their dad this leads me to believe that she travels out of country with her dad often but then in this chapter she says she has never been out of country. well that is all keep up your writing till next time  
Fairy Girl

**She DID travel. But she just never went out of the country. Going to Australia would've been her first time, but as she did not go, she's never been out of the country.**

**Thanks for the review!**

ForceWalker

Chapter 25

Ha, Gaz is playing with the young ones! I pity the poor souls! It's going to be fun!  
But what is going on with Tak? Why did she freeze up at the mention of Dib's father? Is there a connection? And will Dib find out? So many questions, so few answers, and a likely plot twist to come our way! Oh the humanity!  
And where is your daily quote? I love the daily quotes!

**Lol, I keep forgetting stuff! I feel so scatter-brained!**

**My bad, sorry! XD**

My sister got mad cause I was running around with my swagger singing, "Everybody Loves Me" by Onerepublic.

That song needs to be popular again.

Can we say "filler chapter"?

Shit, this is turning out to be a really long, huh? My longest yet. O.o

That's also what she said.

And I was referring to the story and its vast amount of chapters.

Updated a day early because I maxed out on my chapter space and want to write more.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 26  
"A Nightmare Unresolved"**

Zim stood over her, straddling her as she lay beneath him and beaming smugly at her.

"Does that mean I win?" He questioned.

Gaz glared at him as she breathed heavily, recovering. "Not in the least."

"But you caved!" He insisted, giving her a look of complete disbelief. "You said my name!"

"But you said mine first," she retorted, smugly.

Zim scowled at her. Then he chuckled and shook his head, lowering himself to lick one long, straight line up her body, making her shiver, before stopping and hovering his mouth centimeters above hers.

"Very well," He amended, kissing her once before sitting up some more. "You win _this time_. But next time, it will be Zim who has the victory!"

Gaz snorted and shoved him off of her, none too gently. "Horny bastard."

"I'm trying to figure out if that's a compliment or not." He retorted smugly beside her, not deterred in the least.

She laughed at him, sitting up. "What time is it?"

He glanced at the clock. "Soon to be sunrise. You should rest."

"I'm not tired," Gaz admitted, surprised.

Zim smiled at her and kissed her, once, tenderly. "Rest anyways."

She rolled her eyes and lay back down, curling up against him and shutting her eyes. "You think one of these days I'm going to fall asleep with my clothes on?"

"Not unless I'm working or you're sick." Zim assured her.

Gaz snorted and had her eyes been opened, she would've rolled her eyes again. The last thing she felt before she drifted off to sleep were Zim's lips pressed against her forehead as he hummed to himself.

Opening her eyes again though, Gaz wasn't quite sure where anyone was, let alone herself.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she got up from the floor, looking down to see that thankfully, she was clothed. It was just a white, knee-length nightgown but that was enough. She looked around, figuring out soon enough where she was.

Or, at least, she was able to guess.

"The maze?" Gaz muttered to herself, getting to her feet. The floor was cold on her bare feet but she hardly cared or minded. "How did I get out here?"

Tall shrubbery surrounded her, perfectly cut, making it clear how well taken care of this place was. She had no doubt it was, since it belonged, or, well, used to belong to royalty. She took a step forward before slipping on something, breaking her fall with her hands. It stung, but she looked behind her to see her cloak on the floor, where she'd just been laying.

Well, that explained why the ground hadn't been so cold when she'd been lying on it.

As a fall breeze blew through the air, Gaz shivered. She quickly bent and draped the cloak around her, comforted by the thought whatever had driven her out, she had at least had the common sense to stay warm while doing so. Gaz kept it tightly around herself, leaving the hood down as she took the only path that led out of the dead-end she'd walked into.

Many questions ran through her head as she walked slowly, looking around warily, slightly on edge. How had she gotten outside? Had Zim noticed she was gone yet or was he already in hibernation mode? What would he do when he saw she was not in bed?

Why couldn't she remember leaving?

Gaz had never been a sleep-walker. Occasionally she mumbled in her sleep but never had she actually gotten up, got dressed and walked outside. How had she navigated through the maze? Well, maybe she hadn't. That was probably why she had gone back to sleep upon reaching a dead-end.

"Great," She growled to herself, holding the cloak tighter around herself. "Now I'm probably going to be wandering around in here until Zim notices, or by some miracle, I'm able to find my way out on my own."

Another chilly wind made everything alarmingly blurry. Gaz stopped, startled as she hissed in surprise, lifting a hand as she turned the corner and a blinding white light stopped her from continuing. Eventually the light began to die down, taking some of the blurriness with it, revealing fog. Which was probably to be expected, since it was probably early morning in October.

Wasn't it Halloween today?

That thought was pushed out of her mind as she peered through the fog, towards a figure that was walking away from her.

"Hello?" She called after them. Maybe it was Zim, looking for her, or someone who at least knew the way out of here. "Hey!"

The figure stopped, to look at her. She couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but it was looking at her, that much was for sure. Gaz glared at it, wary of approaching.

Then it turned and kept walking away from her.

Irritated now, she began following after it at a quick pace. "Hey! Wait!"

A part of her just wanted to leave them alone. What kind of asshole ran away from someone calling after them, who was very likely lost in a maze? But the rest of her just wanted to see who it was in the first place, if not to get back at them later, to satisfy her curiosity. The figure, however did not wait for her. In fact it almost seemed to be walking faster. Gaz glared after them as they turned a corner. She began running after them, confident she could outrun them.

"Hey!" She shouted again, turning around the corner.

It was odd. Why was she so desperate to find this person?

A fear was crawling around in her chest. That, in chasing this stranger, she was going to get herself further lost. But the need to find them . . . it was oddly overwhelming.

She slipped on one of the wet stones. As she hit the ground rather hard, all she could think was that it must've rained last night.

Her necklace shattered. She heard it but oddly, she could not find herself to care.

Gaz hissed in pain, getting slowly into a sitting position, her legs folded together to her side. The chilly air rushed down her windpipe, making her cough. Her cloak felt rather heavy with water she hadn't noticed before.

Hands that were not hers unhooked it.

Her head snapped up.

Her vision was too blurry and it was too foggy to make out anything more then the figure kneeling, holding a hand out to help her up. Gaz glared at them. Why had they run from her only to come back and help her up?

"I can't see. Who are you?" She demanded, making no move to take their hand.

The figure waited a while.

Then it got to it's feet, turned, and kept walking away.

"No, wait!" She shouted, trying to get to her feet and slipping on the wet stones. "Hey, come back! Don't leave! I was just asking a question!"

They kept walking.

Gaz could feel an irrational panic rising in her. They couldn't very well just leave her here! Gaz could feel a strange heat, rising up from her chest, spreading quickly to her hands and fingers. It was like they were on fire.

And then, they _were_.

Thankfully it was her flame, but she stared at her hands, her eyes shooting to her shattered skull necklace that had slipped from her neck in the fall. She was out of her own control. She could already see her flames creating a ring around her, tiny, but ones that would doubtless grow in a minute, giving the fact her emotions were spinning erratically out of control.

But all she could think about was that the stranger was leaving her, here, lost and alone, effectively abandoning her.

Just because she didn't blindly trust what she couldn't see?

"Wait!" She shrieked again, angry tears forming in her eyes, her hand reaching out after them. "Don't leave me here!"

Gaz was still yelling when suddenly her flames shot up, matching the height of the maze and surrounding her, blocking her view of the stranger. She cried out in fear, looking wildly around herself to see there was no way out. Gaz closed her eyes and tried to make them go away, but the fuchsia fire refused to die down.

She felt her hands, still aflame, curl into fists as she tried to control herself. If she didn't, the maze would soon go up in flames.

"Don't . . . Don't leave me!" Gaz cried one final time, furiously.

* * *

"_Don't . . . Don't leave me . . ._"

"What are you talking about, silly Gaz? Zim isn't going to leave you!"

Gaz's eyes snapped open, taking in her surroundings. She was immediately aware she had been dreaming and sleep-talking, hence the curious, confused and slightly appalled look Zim was giving her.

He reached up and touched her face, cupping her jaw gently in his hands as his gave softened. "Zim would never dream of parting from you again."

Gaz looked down and eyes his shirtless form with appreciation, though it didn't actually show in her eyes. Then she looked back up at his face. "It was just a dream, Zim. I wasn't actually talking to _you_."

"Oh," Then he seemed concerned, wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her to him in a slightly protective motion. "Whoever was in your dream leaving you should be punished. Tell Zim who it was at once!"

She rolled her eyes. "They can't help featuring in my dreams, Zim. And I don't even know who it was anyways."

Zim seemed flustered and irritated, eyes narrowing and his antenna flattening against his head. She leaned her head against his chest, feeling the last bits of fear in her dream drift away as his abnormal heat warmed her. Zim felt the tenderness and slight vulnerability behind her actions and rubbed her back soothingly, leaning his head down against hers.

"Do not worry," he murmured gently. "Zim will always be there to protect you, even in your dreams."

Gaz snorted, hugging him just a bit tighter. "You can't promise that."

No matter how she wished he could be, oddly.

"I feel your subconscious knows my protective instincts well enough to be able to project them in your nocturnal visions," Zim replied plainly, kissing her head.

Gaz's brow rose at his explanation, but decided not to ask. "Fair enough."

"Are you alright?"

Her nerves were no longer on edge, but the disturbing sight of her flames trapping her inside them was still a vivid image in her head. But she nodded anyways, if not to assure herself, to at least make Zim feel better. However, he didn't seem quite as convinced as she thought he would be and continued to hold her to him closely, nervously.

Then Gaz's hand flew to her bare throat, paranoia filling her. "Where's my necklace?"

Zim pulled away, giving her a confused look. But he reached over her, onto the bedside table, and snatched her necklace off of it, dangling it before her face as he watched her expression.

"Right here," he replied, as she sat up, her slender fingers taking it from her. "Although you hardly need it anymore. A part of your wedding ring keeps you from using your powers unintentionally. The necklace just snuffs them out completely. Why do you ask?"

One of Gaz's hands wrung her wrist, the necklace clamped tight in that hand. So even if she panicked, she couldn't use them.

Good.

That was good.

"Are you sure you're alright, Gaz?"  
Zim question warily, when she did not answer him. She felt his bare hand go to her forehead. Checking her temperature. "Do you feel ill in any way?"

She shook her head, effectively shaking his hand off as well. "Just caught off guard is all."

Zim motioned for her to lie back down. "What did you dream about?"

Gaz hesitated.

Zim gave her a look. "If it were I who dreamed (even though that is impossible) and had woken up as completely panicked as you are pretending not to be, you would _force_ me to tell you what it was bothering me. I am being polite and asking."

She sighed and rested her head against the pillow his elbow was propped up on, his head leaning against his hand as he waited patiently for her to recollect her thoughts. Gaz stared at the roof, still able to see that damned figure walking away from her.

"I thought I was awake." Gaz started, reluctantly. "I thought I'd sleep-walked into that maze, outside."

"Curious, since you've never been in it," Zim said, thoughtfully, rubbing a finger on her arm in gentle reassurance. "Continue."

"I pretty much thought the same thing." Gaz admitted. "And, I figured, since I had no recollection of how to get in the maze and therefor no way of knowing how to get out, that I would either wonder around until I eventually found a way out or wait until you woke up from your hibernation and went looking for me."

"No doubt I would panic if I woke up to find you missing." Zim agreed, smiling at her. "If that happens, I'll be sure to check the maze first."

She gave him a look before continuing. "So, I was walking around, pretty bored, until I saw this . . . person . . . at the end of the path."

Zim's brow rose at her hesitance. "What we're they doing?"

"Nothing." Gaz replied, shrugging. "Just walking. But, I figured if they were in, they'd probably know the way out."

"So you followed him then?"

"I _tried_ to." She hissed, irritation in her voice at the thought of that person running from her. "They took off. And there was all this fog, which made sense to me, since I figured if you weren't up yet to see me getting dressed and leaving it still had to be pretty damn early, and I couldn't tell who or what they were. I kept yelling at them to stop and started chasing after them but, I fell."

"On?"

"The floor." Gaz retorted sarcastically. She smirked at his scowl. "I slipped on the rocks. They were wet, which also made sense if it rained in the night."

Zim shivered. "Ugh, _rain_. No wonder you woke up so shaken."

She rolled her eyes at his joke. "Anyways, I couldn't really see anything. Whoever it was tried to help me up, but I didn't know who the hell they were. Why should I take their hand? But when I didn't give my hand to them for them to help me up, they took off again."

"And you panicked?"

"Pretty much." Gaz agreed, nodding. "My necklace broke when I fell. My powers pretty much went out of control and I'm pretty sure they were about to set the maze on fire when I woke up."

Zim was quiet, simply stroking her arm for a minute.

Gaz looked at him. "What do you think?"

"I think you are for too stressed for your own good."

Gaz's brow rose. "And what made you come to that conclusion?"

Zim shrugged, looking down at where his hand rested on her arm. "It just seems logical to me."

"That's hardly an answer."

He sighed, "I wish I could watch you today."

"Work?"

"The few countries left are being particularly stubborn."

"Isn't it Halloween today?"

Zim groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me."

Gaz was surprised. "Why?"

"I _hate_ Halloween."

She was laughing now, trying not to but failing. "What's wrong with Halloween?"

"That is an experience your brother put me through that I never, _ever_ want to be reminded of again." Zim insisted with a shiver. "It is also one I would prefer not to speak of."

"_Fine_," she huffed, pouting.

He smiled at her, the hand on her arm moving to trace her bottom lip. "You are quite adorable when you do that."

"I'm many things, Zim." Gaz retorted, dangerously. "'Adorable' is not one of them."

Zim chuckled and replaced his hand with his mouth, smiling against her lips. He pulled away. "Very true. Let me correct myself; You are quite _appealing_ when you do that."

She chose to ignore his comment. "What time is it?"

"Surprisingly, a decent hour for you to be up." Zim informed her. "By how regular waking up at 6 in the morning is becoming for you, I would say that you overslept. It's 8am."

"How long were you planning on letting me sleep?" Gaz questioned, sitting up again.

Zim did the same. "Until 9. Maybe later, if you lasted that long. But that was wishful thinking, I suppose."

"Do you just want me asleep longer so that you don't have to deal with me when I'm awake?" Gaz taunted, smirking at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Hardly. I'm just trying to keep you from collapsing from exhaustion."

Gaz stuck her tongue out at him, getting up and heading towards the closet to change. Zim smirked at her retreating form, figuring how much time he had before he had to go to work. That thought made him smile. It sounded like such a human thing to think. Going to work. Hehe.

"Am I to be confined in this section of the house, or am I allowed outside?" She called from the closet, interrupting his thoughts.

Zim blinked away his thoughts, smirking. "Only if you don't go in the maze without me."

"Next time, I'm not going to tell you if you continue to harass me about it." She retorted icily.

He chuckled. "I would hope there isn't another time but alright, I'll stop. You may explore, so long as you're careful. Try to keep away from your playthings for now though, yes? Zim does not trust them not to try something and stay away from you."

Gaz laughed this time, exiting the closet in a black, knee-length dress and the cloak on. "It is their house. I very much doubt I'm not going to run into _someone_ eventually."

Zim frowned at her outfit disapprovingly. "That's hardly going to keep you warm if you're going outside."

"It kept me warm in my dream," Gaz retorted, but went back into the closet to try and find a pair of pants."

His face turned to one of contemplation. "Hmm. Curious."

"What is?" Gaz asked from the closet, finding a pair of black plants. Now for a shirt . . .

"The way your dreams identify with pieces of things from your reality," Zim explained, thoughtfully. "It's hard to believe your brains are able to decipher what is real from what is simply a figment of your imagination."

"Well, some of us _can't_." Gaz replied, slipping the shirt over her head. "And that, Zim, is what Mental Facilities are for."

This got a rather loud laugh from him after a brief pause for that information to sink in. Gaz smirked at his amusement, clipping the cloak on around her shoulders before exiting the closet for the second time.

"Better?" She questioned, gesturing to the pants.

Zim nodded, getting up, still completely naked and not seeming to mind in the least. "Much."

He took her arms in his gasp, kissing her on the forehead before locking eyes with her. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself? Do you want me to ask Skoodge or Gir to take you around?"

Gaz made a face of slight disgust. "Eh, no. I'll be fine on my own."

"Very well," He said, with slight disapproval. "Stay in here, though, I'll have Skoodge take your breakfast up to the room before this one."

Gaz smirked at him. "You really don't want me around these people, do you?"

"Call me as many names as you like," Zim said gently, cupping her face with one hand. "But paranoid or not, I don't fancy the idea of you with them."

"Do you think the little girl is going to stab me?" She mused, grinning at him.

"After being around you as a child? I wouldn't put it past her." Zim retorted, kissing her on the forehead again before walking into the closet and shutting the door behind him.

Gaz heard a few machine noises. Her head tilted to the side. "What do you _do_ in there?"

"The house is programmed to let me dress in my uniform as I'm used to, meaning the Irken Invader way." Zim called back, exiting moments later, fully clothed, the dramatic coat included. "It's much quicker, no?"

She just shook her head, shrugging, pulling the hood up. "I'll wait on the balcony. Tell Skoodge to knock on the door or something when he comes."

"Alright," Zim kissed her on the mouth this time, gently, tenderly, before pulling away. "I'll be finished by around 4 . . maybe. Whenever I do, I'll come get you and then we can explore the grounds together. Good enough?"

Gaz nodded. "Okay." Then she smirked. "You can join me from wherever I am."

Zim rolled his eyes. "I figured you wouldn't wait. Very well, be careful then."

"Naturally."

He gave her one last, careful look before releasing her and exiting the room.

Gaz smirked and headed towards the balcony, careful to adjust the hood so the wind wouldn't push it off. She was greeted with the same view as yesterday, her eyes straying at once to the maze. She made a face. She really didn't want to go in there without Zim, or, _somebody_. Call her paranoid or a weirdo, but it just made her uneasy. She glanced over at the gardens when a knock was heard on her door.

Gaz opened the door to find Skoodge had left. She shook her head, rolling her eyes. And Zim had really expected the intimidated little Irken Invader to take her around the area? He couldn't even say hi without running away, terrified! She made quick work of her breakfast, eating in her room, on the balcony, looking at the garden. She was particularly curious about it. There was like a maze of flowers and various plants, but it was a little above waist-high. While it was huge in width, one would be able to see over it and get out easily enough. It was centered around a fountain.

"Eh," Gaz finally said, shrugging. "Why not?"

She left the computer in the house deal with what was left over, walking purposefully through the house. It wasn't so hard to figure out how to get out, as she had made sure to memorize it yesterday. Although she was pretty sure she screwed up at some point because she exited the house through a greenhouse and, well, obviously she had entered through the back doors, not a green house. She hardly minded though, as it had gotten her out, and directly to the garden.

* * *

I chose to end it here because I couldn't think of what else could possibly be important.

BECAUSE YES, THE NIGHTMARE WILL BECOME IMPORTANT . . . LATER . . . yeah.

Mainly Tak and Dib next chapter. Mostly Dib, but Tak so . . . GAH, you get the point!

I actually wrote a whole other 2,000 words for this chapter (it's close to 5,000 already, so quit your bitchin') then stopped, re-read what I wrote in complete and other confusion because I had been writing in a slight daze, was appalled by the lack of importance to what I wrote and it's complete absurdity, deleted it, and left you with this. However, I can never bring myself to entirely delete a creation of mine unless I entirely loathe it (but it came pretty close though), and so I pasted the deleted scene into my bloopers folder.

Shit, there's a lot in that now.

Ah well.

**Daily Quote:  
"Rude!"  
"I try."  
-The ultimate retort if someone has called you any name.**

Till the next chapter!


	27. Decisions, Incisions

R1NGmasterJ5

Chapter 26

Another great chapter, as always.  
Here's the TVTropes link you wanted: /FanFic/MyHostageNotYours  
(I was the one that added the pagequote at the top, taken from chapter 23)  
Also, I know you're already helping that one person with his fic, but can you help me with an Invader Zim fic in about a week?

**Oh my god, YES! Absolutely!**

**And I love that page, it makes me insanely happy. You have no idea how much I was squealing and grinning at all the categories and things and just . . . I love it! Ugh, words cannot express my adoration!**

**The quote, too, looked so legit. I never meant it to sound so deep and smart but it really looks good in that kind of context.**

**You made me look good. Impressive.**

ngrey651

Chapter 26

Woah, that WAS an intense nightmare, I admit. You...wouldn't really kill Gaz off, wouldja? I mean, I might not LIKE her, but killing off a character, especially a protagonist and a child, is something that should be treated with real seriousness and build-up and consequences. Too often, death, be it of people or planets in IZ fanwork...is disgustingly CHEAP.

**Oh hell no! On principle, I'm against main-character death, unless they get to the BRINK of death and then make a dramatic recovery and such (which I think I've done before . . . multiple times).**

**If I ever DID though, I would NOT be cheap, as I know what you mean about cheap character deaths. IZ fanfics have a habit of suicides and it's annoying to me. I think all of these people are too arrogant/have too much purpose to ever end their lives. I feel like the only way they could really die is:**

**Dib: Saving something/someone for whatever reason (probably for the greater good)**

**Zim: In a fiery, accidental, completely epic explosion of an expirement gone wrong, fighting something or another, or by his PAK finally keeling over in defect-ness.**

**Gaz: Honestly, I have no idea. I cannot picture Gaz dying. I feel like she'd growl at the Grim Reaper and he would back off and she would revive herself and confuse the hell out of everyone around her as to why she is still alive.**

**Me and my insight into these characters. -_-**

**But yeah. I'm surprised you thought GAZ was going to die though. If anything, I would've thought you guys would think ZIM was, since HE'S the one with the time limit.**

Gman2092

Chapter 26

Love this chapter as well. The nightmare was done well, but it seemed realistic. Your an amazing author, and you shouldn't be surprised by people asking you to help them with their stories. It happens with me on too. It can be annoying, but it's flattering. I'd like to say I'm at least adequate as an author. If people like my stories then I guess they like Adequate stories. I dunno.  
Anyway, keep the story going, and I really am exited about the next few chapters. All my stories are at a COMPLETE standstill because of my lack of inspiration. So much for "Four reviews for the next chapter"...  
(Ive had 7, not including Anon reviews.)

**Lol. I wouldn't do that "review" thing. It's annoying to wait and it's saddening to readers, who cannot control other people's reviews.**

**But the inspiration thing I can TOTALLY relate to right now. The first chapter of the newest story I've just started on (you all voted, THE RESULTS ARE IN) has been restarted several times because I've NO IDEA how to start it.**

**Meh.**

**I find though that music, abnormal pictures and bringing up conversations that could help or relate to your story can help create an imaginative spark. For example, when I was debating on Dib's reaction to Gaz taking over the world, I turned to my sister and did this:**

**"Hey, Poop!"  
"What?"  
"If I took over the world and enslaved the human race, would you be mad at me?"  
"That depends on why you did it, but probably not. You're too stupid to be mad at for long."**

**Hence, Dib's reaction. :D Although Gaz isn't stupid. AND NEITHER AM I, MY SIBLINGS ARE JUST MEAN TO MEH! Poop is normally what I call people in general, before someone says I started it. It's a form of endearment. ^_^**

ForceWalker

Chapter 26

What a crazy nightmare! If it scared Gaz that much, then it must be pretty serious! I mean, she's literally unafraid of nearly everything! but what does it mean? If it's important as you say it is, then it's definitely going to be big when we see Gaz next time!  
Tak freezing up at the mention of Professor Membrane? She hasn't even met him! Or...has she? What do you have up that sneaky sleeve of yours?  
And where's the DATR? I mean, if there's going DATR, then please, let there be some soon! Not too much, just a tiny bit! That's all I ask for! Please make it happen! I beg of you!

***pat* *pat* *pat* Don't you worry! I know how to satisfy my readers!**

**Or, at least, I hope so. O.o**

This chapter title made me giggle.

Originally it was just "Decisions, Decisions" and then I paused, snickered, and changed the second word.

I'm such a weirdo. ^_^

AND I HAVE TOO MANY FUCKING TWISTS IN MY STORY. D:

Also, I have noticed all of your reviews are gradually lessening. It saddens me, but you shant be punished (like some authors do by making a goal-review number and refusing to give you chapters until that number is reached; personally, I would feel bad for the people waiting, which is why I can't do that. Also, I would get impatient and just end up updating, but that's just me! XD), as you probably just have nothing to say.

Or my story just sucks.

Either way, here's another chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 27  
"Decisions, Incisions"**

Tak dressed, kicking out the nurse out who offered to help her.

MiMi could do far more than they ever could.

It was just a pair of dark, slightly loose jeans (this frame of hers was just so damn _thin_) and a black shirt. The undergarments, she was assured, had just been bought and not used before. Thankfully, _these_, at least, fit her properly. When she was done changing she tried to stand, MiMi waiting carefully next to her in case she required assistance. But Tak had managed on her own for the most part, only needing assistance when it came to the bra. She hadn't been able to do it herself, dropping the hook every time it brushed against her scars. So in the end MiMi had and Tak took a few minutes to adjust to the discomfort.

"Honestly, MiMi," She'd growled, as she waited for herself to grow a tolerance. "How do females wear these _all the time_?"

She walked around fine, keeping close to the machine that her IV was hooked to, so as not to pull it out. It was bad enough she had it in her at all, but if she was _awake_ when they had to put it in her again? That was simply out of the question.

Tak was barefoot, a fact she hardly minded. The tile felt cool on her skin, a nice and curious feel.

_Wow_, she thought, wiggling her pale toes. _The Tallest really went all out on this punishment._

Then again, didn't they always?

Finally, someone had the decency to knock on her door.

It put her in a slightly good mood as she held her arms out to her sides, to keep herself balanced. She was well aware she probably looked like a toddler trying to learn how to walk, but, oh well. "Come in!"

The door opened.

MiMi let out a startled, vicious growl.

Tak's head snapped up.

Dib gave them curious, wary looks. "Uh, hey, guys. I hope you don't mind if I brought-."

"So, Dib," Professor Membrane interrupted, stepping into the room. "This is your friend Tak."

Tak found herself rooted to the spot, mouth opening and closing, unable to find words to speak.

"Yeah," Dib nodded, glancing between his father and Tak. "Do you two . . . know each other?"

"No." Tak said, shaking her head as she sat back down. She stroked MiMi, who was sitting on her lap, focusing on her robot. "It's nice to meet you, Professor Membrane."

"Of course it is!" His father said arrogantly, making Dib's hand slap to his face. Professor Membrane stepped forward, holding out his hand for Tak to shake. "It's also nice to meet you, little girl!"

Tak eyed his hand in a harsh manner, eyes flicking up to his face, making it very clear she had no intention of shaking his hand. Dib's hand slid up to cover his eyes as he let out a silent breath.

His father and Tak attempting to communicate; an epic fail waiting to happen.

"Right, well," The Professor said, retracting his hand. "I've come to see how you were doing."

"Fine." Tak replied, bluntly.

Dib could see her shift away from his father as his dad went over to check her scanners. He saw her hands running across MiMi's ears rather quickly, in an anxious manner. Well, figures. He _had_ just brought his dad in here without warning her beforehand, but that was hardly his fault. His dad had just showed up, said hi to his son and then asked to see the 'little friend' he'd brought in. What choice did Dib have?

"Well," Membrane noted. "Looks like you don't need that IV anymore. I can take it out now, if you like."

Suddenly Tak's eyes flashed and she nodded vigorously, holding out her hand to him. Dib watched his father laugh at her sudden spark of enthusiasm, taking her hand in his gloved one.

"It might sting a little," He warned.

Dib's brow rose. He had never seen his father this careful with, well, anyone. Not even Gaz, when she had gotten that curse placed on her or Dib, when he had been thrown into the loony bin (before escaping of course; _ugh_, stupid Halloween). Well, Dib _had_ always heard how charming his father was from other people; maybe he was just kind to people to get what he wanted. The thought almost made him snort. That would make sense, especially when he was under the care of the Swollen Eyeball. His dad had probably been instructed to try and get Tak to talk to him, a professional, instead of Dib.

Tak hissed as the needle was removed from her hand, putting MiMi on edge, but as Dr. Membrane placed a Band-Aid on the wound, they both relaxed a bit, since he released her hand afterwards.

"Now, Tak," Dr. Membrane began cautiously, kindly. Tak's eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. "Do you think you'll be able to help us?"

"Help you _how_?" She pressed, still eying him in a threatening manner; the silent warning for him to choose his words carefully. "If you think you can go up against the Empire, you're sadly mistaken. However, if you want Zim, I'm more than happy to help."

"What history do you have with Zim?" He asked her, sitting down on a chair next to the table.

"Why does that matter?" Tak snapped back. "We aren't friends. That's all the matters. All you people care about is if I'll help you or not."

"You've got scars on your back." His father countered, making Dib's eyes shoot open. "Do you have any idea what are they from?"

Tak froze, her eyes wide, as if she were seeing something that was not there.

Dr. Membrane leaned towards her. MiMi jumped to her feet, hissing at him, warning him to back up, which he did, holding his hands up warily.

Tak's face was growing pale, her eye twitching.

"Tak!" Dib shouted, running over.

Surprisingly, MiMi did not attack him. Her eyes remained focused on Dr. Membrane and Dr. Membrane alone.

Dib gripped Tak's shoulders, shaking her a little. "Hey, Tak! Tak, snap out of it!"

He yelped as a spark radiated through her body, shocking him away from her, like static electricity. He shook his hand out as the glazed look in her eyes dissolved and she began leaning forward, eyes drooping tiredly. Dib darted forward again and caught her, her head in his chest and his hands holding her shoulders. If she was anyone else, Dib would've felt slightly uncomfortable, but this was Tak.

Nothing could happen with Tak.

"Tak?" He pressed, shaking her a little.

MiMi shot continuous glances between Dib and his father, but mainly kept her eyes on the professor.

"Tak?" Dib repeated, feeling her shift.

Tak sat up again, clutching her head gently with one hand. Dib helped her sit up, his hands hovering near her shoulders in case she collapsed again.

"_Traces of that bug is still inside me. My PAK rebooted to prevent another amnesiac cycle_," She muttered to him, loud enough for only Dib and maybe MiMi to hear. Tak looked up at him, speaking at a normal level now. "I'm fine."

"I'll leave you to rest," Dr. Membrane began, beginning to leave.

Suddenly Tak's voice was filled with authority instead of nerves, her eyes narrowed. "No. You will stay." She looked to Dib. "And you will leave."

Both of them seemed surprised, sharing a look.

"Um," Dib said, looking away from his father. "Okay. I'll, uh . . . be outside if you need me, I guess."

"I won't." Tak said bluntly, locking eyes with the surprised professor. "Go."

"Tak-."

"Go!" She hissed, her head snapping to his and keeping his gaze.

Dib was stunned by the amount of fire in her violet eyes. Being around Gaz so much, it was impossible to ever become used to her looks, but he'd at least grown a small tolerance. However, Tak's look shattered his resolve and he stumbled out of the room, nodding hurriedly before taking his leave.

As soon as the door shut, all of Dr. Membrane's charm was gone and MiMi darted back onto her master's lap.

"He doesn't know," Membrane said at once.

"Why haven't you told anyone yet?" Tak turned that look of fury upon him, but it had no effect. "If you think that you can use this against me in some way-!"

"What benefit would it have to either of us if I told?" He interrupted, challengingly.

Tak growled at him. "You didn't even tell your son, did you?"

"Dib knows what you are. He doesn't need to know the rest." Dr. Membrane replied curtly.

She snorted. "I thought your kind was supposed to trust your DNA-mates with secrets like these."

"Father's protect their children." He retorted, eyes narrowing slightly at her. "Your kind does not understand that."

"What I don't understand is why you tried to convince him otherwise." Tak said, mockingly. "Even now, when the world knows what Zim is, you still try to hold onto that hope Dib is really crazy enough to believe your convoluted story! You asked me questions, professor, some of which you already know the answers to, in a vain hope that your son won't figure it out and that _I_ don't remember the whole story."

"You don't-!"

"I am not finished!" Tak snapped, silencing him. "He is a smart boy, professor. Just like your daughter is smart; smart enough to make her own tough decisions about her life choices. Dib is going to figure it out you know. And then he's going to figure out **_what you did_**!"

"Enough!" He ordered, shutting her up.

Tak eyed him with distaste and disgust, snorting at him before looking away. "Your son isn't insane, you are."

"I kept you safe," Dr. Membrane retorted, pointing at her. "I kept you unaware of your misery when you were threatening to kill yourself. I kept your secret when I discovered what you were."

"For your own benefit!" Tak hissed, in disbelief. "You _brainwashed_ me so I wouldn't reveal myself! I know what you've been trying to do, Dr. Membrane. Despite what your children believe, you are not ignorant to what lies outside of your world. You've turned a blind eye to it, to keep your planet and your family from intergalactic war. A smart tactic, but one that was bound to break eventually. You tried to keep it a secret for long enough and now it's out. Nothing you do now is going to change that!"

Her words echoed in the small room, stinging Dr. Membrane. She couldn't see it in his outer appearance, but Tak knew well he was crumbling on the inside. His last hopes to keep Earth unbiased, untouched, crumbling with each word she shot at him.

"He thinks the scar is from the Tallest's operation, not yours." Tak muttered, turning away from him again. "Your secret is safe, _for now_. I assume no one has listened in on our conversation?"

"They trust me enough to relay the information myself."

"Oh, if only they knew what you could've handed them when you first found me." Tak chuckled, darkly, a smirk on her face. She glanced at him, sneering at his unreadable form and knowing how disheveled he was on the inside now. "They wouldn't have so much blind faith in you then."

"Do _not_ tell my son." Dr. Membrane said in a warning tone. But he was begging. Tak could hear it. The smirk dissolved into a scowl of indifference. "When the time is right, I will tell him myself."

Tak laughed, but nodded. "You two are both keeping secrets from each other. Or, at least, he _thinks_ he's keeping one from you. Although his is to protect an ally. Yours is for your own selfish reasons. That must be where your daughter got it."

"I don't need the likes of _you_ telling me how selfish I am," Dr. Membrane shot back. "And don't you _dare_ speak badly about Gaz."

"What are you going to do about her?" Tak demanded, ignoring his threat. "She's betrayed her own species. That isn't exactly what I imagine your '_ideal'_ child would be doing."

"She's doing what she wants and what she thinks is right for her." Dr. Membrane replied, folding his hands behind his back as he paced, towards the wall. "That is all I can ask of my children."

"Some father you are," Tak scoffed. "If I know Zim, he probably took over the world to keep Gaz safe in some way that made sense to his twisted brain. And with Dib the poster-child for the world's only hope, well," she laughed, grinning at him. "It seems your children were your precious Earth's downfall, weren't they?"

"Without Dib and Gaz, Zim would've done worse sooner." Membrane said sternly. "And without them, you would've destroyed the Earth if Zim hadn't. I read Dib's files, whether he knows it or not. I know the three of them beat you."

"AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BECAUSE THEY DID!" Tak shrieked, gesturing furiously to her human body and slamming her hands on the table. "I'm a disgusting HUMAN! And you tried to convert me _fully_! You're lucky I hate Zim so much more then I hate you, or I wouldn't be willing to help this side _at all_."

"What motive do you have in going after Zim?" Dr. Membrane questioned, stepping towards her. "You can't take his mission now. Not with the Tallest on his side."

"My reasons are my own." Tak growled, defensively. "And are of no business of yours. Rest assured, it won't hamper your mission to retrieve your world."

"Why should I trust you to keep to your word?" Dr. Membrane demanded suspiciously.

Tak laughed at him. "Why should I trust you to keep yours? The same reasons, Dr. Membrane. As soon as one of us reveals the others secret, both of us are going to spill the beans and just make a bigger mess then the one we're already dealing with. And like you said before, that isn't going to get us anywhere."

He glared at her. Eventually he nodded, reluctantly.

"Very well. We've come to an understanding, then."

"Then I guess you have no reason to be here anymore," Tak said insinuatively, eyes flicking towards the door before looking back at him expectantly.

Dr. Membrane nodded. He got his handle no the door before stopping. "Tak."

Tak's eyes narrowed at his tone. "Yes?"

"Betray my trust as you like. But . . . don't . . . Don't betray Dib, alright?" At the last part of his sentence he looked up, locking eyes with her through his goggles.

Her eyes widened. "W-What?"

"Dib trusts you." Dr. Membrane explained, warningly, as if he was telling her top-secret information. "And he likes you, even if he doesn't know it yet. Dib is going through enough thinking over what he's going to do with his sister. He _does not_ need the only person he ever considered and _still considers_ a friend losing his trust as well."

Tak blinked rapidly, her mind trying to cope with this new information. "I'm his . . . _friend_?"

"And you'll stay that way," Dr. Membrane took a deep breath, as if trying to force the next words from his mouth. "Even if it means lying for you, or covering for you, or even blackmailing you, you will stay my sons friend." He shot her a dark look. "Understood?"

"Y-You can't blackmail me! I have dirt on you back!" She shouted, defensively, panicked slightly as her hands gripped the table.

_Damn_ these human emotions programmed into her PAK!

Dr. Membrane nodded, slowly. "I'm well aware. But if keeping my son sane means using the vulnerabilities of an alien, young girl or otherwise, I will do it, Tak. Have no doubt about it. Now, I will ask you again, are we clear?"

Tak bared her teeth at him, breathing heavily as a growl emanated from her throat.

"Crystal," she spat, turning her back on him. "Get out."

Dr. Membrane nodded again, as if she was looking, and left.

Dib, waiting by the door as he'd promised, surprised Dr. Membrane.

"Son!" He shouted, caught off guard. "What are you still doing here?"

"Waiting, like I said." Dib replied, standing. He peered over his father's shoulder as the door shut behind him. "Tak okay?"

"Perfectly fine. But she became tired in our questioning and requested to be alone." Dr. Membrane explained, cheerful as ever.

"Oh," Dib seemed down-trodden for a moment before shrugging away the momentary blanket of odd depression, folding his arms behind his head casually as he and his father walked away from Tak's room. "She's sick all the time. Gotta feel bad for her. I wonder when she'll start feeling better."

"With any luck, science will find a way to heal her sooner!" Membrane shouted, pridefully, one finger in the air to exclaim his point.

Dib smirked at his father's ignorance. "Yeah, Dad. I'm sure it will."

When his son looked away, lost in his own thoughts, Dr. Membrane glanced at him, his goggles making it look as if he was just looking straight ahead, one of the many advantages of wearing them.

Little did his son know, he was far less ignorant then Dib ever could know he was.

Meanwhile, in her room, Tak hugged her legs tightly to her chest as she muttered curses in several languages. MiMi watched her through narrowed eyes, trying to decipher the unfamiliar turmoil that was her master's emotions. The information she was getting off of Tak's PAK was confusing and all she could do was sit and watch until Tak gathered herself.

Finally, Tak sighed. "_We are being used, MiMi._"

"**_You_**_ are being used, master._" MiMi corrected, tail flicking out behind her in whip-like motions. "_I am for your assistance and your assistance only_."

Tak's head bowed. "_Yes . . . you're right . . . Of course you are, you're Irken_."

MiMi's head tilted to the side, padding forward. "_Are you alright, master?_"

"_MiMi_," Tak did not look at her, one slender finger tracing her SIR unit's face as she looked down at the blankets she not nestled in. "_Why do you continue to remain in the form of an Earthling pet?_"

Her SIR unit hesitated, knowing this was not relevant to Tak's confusion, but answered. "_I . . . cannot change back, master._"

Tak's eyes shot open, staring at MiMi now. "_What? Why not?_"

"_The Empire did not want me losing your cover because I reverted. I've been locked into this form, to ensure we were not revealed because you were seen with me in my true form._" MiMi explained, peering closely at the horror on Tak's face. "_Master, you should rest. I can sense your energy draining._"

"_No, I . . . I'm . . . I don't want to sleep._" Tak amended, not quite sure what she was.

Because she wasn't Irken, because she was human.

But she wasn't human, because she was Irken.

And she wasn't Dib's friend because she hated him (right?).

But she was Dib's friend because Dr. Membrane was blackmailing her into doing so.

And she wasn't an ally to the Swollen Eyeball because they were idiots, and she was using them for her benefits.

But she was, because she was going to start feeding them information on Zim.

So then . . .

"I am a traitor to the Empire, because I am a failure." Tak murmured to herself, slipping out of Irken as her eyelids drooped with self-hatred. "And I am their loyal servant, because I am going to rid them of Zim before he becomes a problem they cannot control."

"_Master?_" MiMi's eyes widened as Tak did not respond, her forehead resting against her knees. "_Master, what is it_?"

Tak ignored her. Things were leaking, she could feel it falling from her eyes. And it infuriated her. She wished she could pull out of her body, split it into two, so that she could beat herself for allowing this body to become so insufferably miserable. Weakness, that's all this body was.

Just another way for her to fail.

As she continued to berate herself, she heard MiMi leave, darting out the door. And all she would've seen was a blur, naturally. These eyes were too weak to see anything as quick as MiMi moving. She snorted. Now even her own SIR unit, one she had designed for obedience to her and her alone, had abandoned her to go off who knows where. Was she truly so weak that MiMi had left hre again before she collected herself? Was she becoming too human again?

_I **feel** too human_, Tak thought to herself, her grip around her knees tightening to the point where it was painful. _Why this punishment, My Tallest? Why couldn't I just have been deactivated like the rest of the failures? Were my failures truly so horrible that I deserved to have this happen to me?_

A glance down at herself was all the answer she needed.

_Yes._

"**_Tak_**?"

She did not move.

"MiMi, go call a doctor or something."

The sound of her retreat was heard again, nearly extinguished by quick, heavy footsteps. Her hands curled into fists. How she wished she had the will to punch him right now.

"Tak, hey, are you okay?"

Arms embraced her, in a way that was more concerned then affectionate. Good. She didn't think she could deal with a twist like _that_ now, either. A part of her wanted to tear free from the embrace, take MiMi, and just walk until she reached ocean. Then just turn around and do the same thing again. But the rest of her smothered that will and so Tak remained immobile, listening to her PAK, that was telling her to rest while it healed.

Walking around the world was hardly restful.

"Tak, come on! MiMi comes into my room and just pushes me all the way down the hallway and I've got no idea what's going on! Cut me some slack! What's wrong?"

His pitiful pleas were amusing to her. She nearly smirked. She would've, if her PAK wasn't demanding she lay immobile until it could gather enough energy for a reboot again.

Rebooting twice in one day.

Pathetic.

Dib sighed heavily. Why had MiMi come and got him, of all people? He wasn't a doctor. And he was obviously having no better luck then she, as Tak remained curled into a ball, just leaning against him but only because he was holding her. Tak was kind of a brat, sure, but they were still sorta friends. Or, at least, he considered her a friend and she was using him as a lifeline. He knew Tak would probably backstab him in the end but it was a simple relationship. Unlike the one with his sister, that was in Hell right now, but that was something to talk about later.

MiMi returned, without a doctor.

Dib didn't question her reasoning.

She made beeping noises he couldn't understand.

"She says, 'I almost got one and then realized it would do nothing'."

Dib's head snapped down, holding Tak up by the shoulders. "You speak?"

She didn't even make note of his joke, just looked at her lap blankly, eyes drooping with either depression or sudden exhaustion.

MiMi made more sounds, hopping up next to Tak.

"She says, 'Don't be insulted that she won't respond to you; she won't respond to me either'."

Dib and MiMi shared looks. So apparently, Tak was only up for translating, not speaking on her own accord. Dib didn't need Tak to see what MiMi was saying through her body language.

'I've no idea what's wrong with her because it's a human thing; so _fix her_, stupid human boy.'

He sighed and placed one hand under Tak's chin, tilting it up, making her face him.*

"Tak," Dib said, sternly. And then he shortly after realized just how ridiculous he sounded and went back to his normal, slightly pleading face. "Snap out of it, Tak. This isn't like you at all! You're acting like a human child."

He knew this would normally get him a punch in the face.

Instead her eye twitched and she grimaced, trying to pull her face away from him.

Dib took her face in both of his hands, firmly, making her lock eyes with him.**

"You are a lot of negative things, Tak." Dib informed her.*** "Weak is _definitely_ not one of them. Whatever the hell is wrong, suck it up and deal with it!"

He sounded like an ass and he'd never dream of saying these kinds of things to anyone but this was Tak. She didn't respond to things like humans did, even if she was acting like she did.

Her lip twitched, curling up into a snarl.

Dib resisted a whimper, swallowing his fear and glaring at her. "Sick my ass! You're just lazing around so you don't have to deal with your problems! That isn't very Irken, now is it, _Tak_?"

She was growling at him now.

Did he have the common sense to shut up?

Of course not!

"You whimper at the site of needles. What kind of soldier does _that_?"

**WHAM!**

Dib was knocked across the room, thanks to a viper-quick punch to the face. He groaned, sitting up, pain washing over his face as he gingerly touched his abused cheek.

"There she is," He groaned, moving his jaw slowly. Nothing broken. "You're welcome, MiMi."

"_I offered no thanks._" MiMi muttered. But Dib took that as a, 'You're welcome' and smiled at her while she glared at him in confusion.

"Dib," Tak said, sternly, shaking her hand out. That had been a hard punch. One that had even hurt _her_. "Talk to me like that again and you will receive a kick to your groin as well. However, I thank you for knocking some sense into me. I suppose I owe you reimbursement of some sort."

"Yeah, yeah. Next time, _don't_ knock anything into_ me _and we'll call it even." Dib retorted bitterly, making odd faces to test his jaw. "What was up with that?"

"_Emotions_," She said, as if it was a bad taste in her mouth. "I have to ask you something, though, Dib."

"Yeah, what?" He grumbled, massaging his cheek.

Tak's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do about Gaz? Whose side are you on?"

Dib froze.

"Tak . . . I can't answer that." He said, very quietly. "I still need time to think."

"You've had enough time," Tak argued. "Tell me what you're going to do."

"Why does it matter to you?" Dib said defensively, getting to his feet. "You already told me you'd be helping the Swollen Eyeball, no matter what. Why do you care about what _I_ do?"

"Because I just need to know!" She hissed. "Are you on Gaz's side or your father's?"

"Dad isn't on anyone's side!" Dib shouted back at her. "He was at Gaz's wedding; all he cares about is if we're happy or not! That's what dad's _do_."

Tak resisted an eye role. Arguing with both the males of the Membrane family within the same hour. She was starting to feel tired.

"But you are not happy," Tak noted, getting to her feet slowly. "You miss her. You cannot fight her Dib, just admit it already."

Dib locked eyes with her. But slowly the anger faded out from his face and he looked at the ground, pitifully. "I know."

"So I'll ask again; what are you gonna do?"

There was silence.

"I think . . . You already know what I'm going to do." Dib finally said, looking up at her again.

Tak smirked. "Then you've decided to 'grow a pair', I believe is the term."

Dib laughed, weakly, uncomfortably. "Yeah, that's it."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Why would you want to help _me_?" Dib asked, surprise flitting across his face. "You don't even like me!"

"I like to consider us . . . _friends_," Tak said, forcing a grimace off of her face in favor of a half-hearted smile. "And I believe friends help each other, right?"

"Uh," Dib rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Right."

"So," Tak pressed, placing her hands on her hips expectantly. "What do you want me to do?"

* * *

*Bet you all thought he was gonna kiss her, huh?

**Okay, now I'm just pushing it.

***WOW, DIB. WAY TO BE SUPPORTIVE!

Lol, so no Gaz or Zim in this chapter, but a lot of mystery.

You got the gist of the mystery between Tak and Dr. Membrane, but what's the whole story?

And Dib and Tak are sort friends now, but what is it Tak is helping Dib with?

Didn't I tell you how twisted my brain is?

Now you all know why Tak looked so surprised by her scars. She'd "forgotten" about them.

Can you believe that I planned all of this ahead of time?

**Daily Quote:  
"Dude, I had the weirdest dream last night."  
"What was it?"  
"It was Invader Zim and weird as FUCK. Everyone was fighting and in the midsts of the brawl some interdimensional switch got pulled and they went into like Live Action instead of animation and Zim and Tak and their SIR units were all turned into humans. And the whole plot was that they had to figure out who pulled the switch because if the person who pulled it doesn't reverse it, and someone else grabs it, then they're stuck there forever."  
"What the hell?"  
"I mean it was cool cause I was MiMi and it was awesome even though I kept getting into fights with Gir but I've been sitting here for like two hours going 'what the fuck'? I really need to stop writing right before I go to bed."  
-Me, waking up, really confused and telling my sister of my dreams.**

**EVEN IN SLEEP I AM COMING UP WITH IDEAS FOR STORIES! :D**

**And yes, if you've seen my vote, that's where that option came from; my dreams.**

Till the next chapter!


	28. Not Lost But Not Found

Potatoes4Eva

Chapter 27

My brain has turned to mush. Eh.. Uh... I mean... Mush of...DOOM. Tak and Membrane... Whoa. Just... Wow. The whole reason she thought she was completely human was because the Professor went all "LOOKIT ME I'M A SCIENTIST" and brain-washed her to save the world! Hey... Maybe Dib really IS his clone. 3 Nothin' like a bond between Father and Son (not that I would know; I'm a girl that sees her dad twice a month :P).  
And for the daily quote thing: YOUR DREAMS ARE SO AMAZING, I'D EAT NOTHING BUT RAW VEGETABLES FOR... AN HOUR (I was gonna say 'year', but vegetables are gross) JUST TO BE SUCKED INTO YOUR BRAIN TO WATCH YOUR NIGHT TERRORS AND DREAMS LIKE TV. Yeah.  
OooooOoooOOOOoooOoOoOoOoooh, I wonder what'll happen next.

**I will have a video made in your honor if you want to see what goes on in my head at night and send it to you.**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 27

... How did I miss two extra updates? And did I forget to review a chapter?  
... Wha... What's going on? What do you *mean* it was the Professor?  
... OH MY GOD I AM NEVER LEAVING THIS COMPUTER AGAIN.  
(not really, though.)

**LOL. It's not your fault, the first update was a surprise update, because I wanted space in my Document Manager.**

Invader Johnny

Chapter 27

Well Prof. Membrane surprised me here, its the first time I read a fic where he is shown to NOT be ignorant.  
Shame Tak was the first to know that and not Dib.  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**I always like trying things not a lot of people have done. There's always the chance that it's not going to come out right, but, at least I broke new ground, right? :)**

R1NGmasterJ5

Chapter 27

Woah, that Membrain thing really caught me off guard.  
About the TVTropes thing: Yeah, the second I read that response, I knew it should be the page quote.  
About the fanfic-help thing: Thanks. I'm trying to get the characterization as canon as possible, as I have...plans. Also, as it's a fic that involves itself, I'll make sure to reference this series as one of the good fanfics that the characters come across.  
About the vote: I was a bit annoyed I missed it, but once I saw the chosen fic...it gave me a sense of pure anticipation. I can't wait.  
(Also, my iPod's autocorrect has been fighting with me for this whole review. Among other things, it tried to change "Membrain" into "Memebraun", and "second" into "disco".)

**Aw, thanks! The iPod thing, I cannot help it, I had to laugh. Autocorrect is a demon spawn of technology.**

Doodoo, peanuts.

Confusing title, no? But I like what's in limbo.

BENDY THINGS. :D

. . . .

Bad joke, I know.

Sorry for the late update, I've been painting this picture for my sister all day yesterday AND today and I JUST finished it. If you want to know what it is, look up "umineko bernkastel" and you'll see who it is. I created a picture of her sitting in a chair, in a lavish room with a couple of the umineko-themed chess pieces behind her and IT WAS SO HARD, but it looks pretty good. You probably won't find the painting, as it isn't online, but my sister's anime-obsessed friend wants it to be his profile, so you never know. You might find it sometime later.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 28  
"Not Lost But Not Found"**

"It just came in now, sir. I took the liberty of printing them out for you, to briefly overlook before your meeting."

Zim took the papers, eying them, red eyes scanning quickly over the several pages. Skoodge waited in front of him obediently, patiently, as always. It took only a few moments for Zim to figure out where immediate alterations would be needed but he'd obviously have to go into more extensive research about the Pill when he had more free-time. However, this was priority.

He scowled.

That meant less time with his wife.

"Problem, sir?" Skoodge questioned, misreading his suddenly cross face.

"Eh?" Zim glanced up from the papers and shook his head. "No, thank you, Skoodge. I'll call you again when you are needed. By the way, though, do you have any idea where Gaz might have run off to?"

"The last place I saw her was in the gardens, sir." Skoodge replied, thoughtfully. "Would you like me to locate her for you?"

"No, no, I can do it myself." Zim insisted, lifting his wrist as he began fiddling with the dials on her tracker. "You are dismissed for the day, Skoodge. I will locate you if that changes."

"Yes, sir!" Skoodge saluted, bowed, and then walked off.

Zim saw three blips, like always, and honed in on the nearest one with a smirk. Indeed, Skoodge was right; Gaz was still in the gardens. Figures she would be exploring out there for some time. Thankfully, as she'd promised, she was not in the maze, however, she was relatively close to it. Zim very much doubted she'd go inside but with Gaz, you never knew. He chuckled and headed outside.

If he was going to be busy for a while, he was going to ensure she was as well.

It didn't take long (thanks to his tracker) to locate her.

Gaz was watching the armies set up their tents on the lower, rougher terrain. The nicer grounds were up on flat, soft ground before it jutted down into a cliff-side and led to the terrain normally reserved for horses. Her brow rose curiously as not many of them seemed quite so zombie-like anymore. They all wore red military uniform, the Irken symbol on each of their tents.

"Strange. I would've thought you'd prefer a different view."

She had her elbows on the railing, glancing over her shoulder to look at him, her hood still up, with a partially-visible smirk. "No better view then this one."

He eyed her purposefully, returning the smirk. "I would have to agree on that."

Gaz rolled her eyes, but there was still a hint of humor there as she looked back on the grounds. "They don't look quite so inhuman anymore."

"The solvent is sinking into the systems now," Zim explained, approaching her. "The side-effects are dissolving, but their purpose remains. They will function, appear, and react like they used to, but they are now wholly loyal to _Zim_."

"I wonder what their families are doing," Gaz commented, optimistically.

Zim chuckled. "Eventually, I'll arrange family visits of some sort. But for now, they'll have to survive without it."

"Mm," She agreed, nodding, watching them line up into rows as they began drills of some sort. "I'm sure they've never felt so-."

Gaz cut off as Zim gripped her hips abruptly, pressing her against his front.

"I'm going to be very busy for a while, to get the Pill prepared." He purred in her ear, lifting a hand to brush against her face as he guided her away from the railing. His other hand lifted to her torso, straightening her so her back was fully against his chest. "And I wish to spend some quality time with you with you while I can."

Gaz smirked again. Then grimaced shortly after. "The sooner you finish, the sooner I meet the Tallest."

"Don't sound so glum about it. It's an honor the Tallest want to meet you at all."

"I'm not exactly look forward to it nonetheless," Gaz muttered, defensively.

Zim chuckled as his hand slipped under her cloak, resting on her ribs, just below her breasts. "Any way I can perk up your mood?"

"Not out in the open," She replied, bluntly, in a warning tone.

Zim chuckled, slipping his hand out from under her cloak and wrapping his arm around her waist, leading her back towards the castle.

"Very well." He said, clearly amused. "We will finish this inside."

"You'd think I'd be sore by now or something," she commented dryly.

Zim laughed, "Clearly we're doing something wrong, then. I'm sure I can have you sore by tomorrow morning, if you'd prefer."

She flicked his antenna, rolling her eyes. "You're insane."

He grinned at her. "Glad you noticed."

* * *

"It could work." Agent Dark-Booty admitted, nodding his head.

Dr. Membrane scowled at Dib. Or at least, he gave him a look of disapproval. It was hard to tell when the majority of his father's face was covered.

"I don't like the idea of kidnapping my own daughter." He stated, apprehensively. "Besides, it's far too risky."

"No," Dib shook his head in argument. "Tak's done it before."

"I'll need an update on his positions and defenses." Tak corrected. She had been given ample time to recover and was sitting down next to Dib now, the two of them on the same page for once. "I'll also have to fix the flaws I left in my old system-cracker, but it could work. I'd still only be able to give you half an hour though."

"Not enough time," An agent argued. "Who knows what kind of traps he has waiting once we break past his shield?"

"That's just the thing," Dib insisted. "When we broke in, he didn't have so much as a single guard! Zim's arrogance in his downfall; he doesn't think we'd have the technology available to break in in the first place."

"What if he learned from his mistake?" Someone countered. "Our latest update informs us he's training troops in there. We'll be unable to get in and out in that small amount of him. Not to mention your sister kept a few tricks up her sleeve."

"Tricks?" Tak's brow rose at Dib's uneasy look. "What kind of tricks?"

Dark-Booty directed their attention towards the large television screen in the room. The lights shut off and a film played.

"We got this off of airport security." He explained, darkly, shooting Dib a look that the boy wilted at. Tak looked between them curiously before turning her eyes to the screen.

Dib paled. It was Gaz. On the plane.

He closed his eyes, hearing everyone gasp as no doubt Gaz used her powers, like he remembered.

Many would think it strange he wasn't paying attention to this rather important piece of information that would attribute to his ultimate plan in retrieving her. But in Dib's mind, it made perfect sense to ignore her 'special abilities', to pretend like they didn't exist. So long as they didn't exist, he could continue to pretend that his sister was the same, normal, bitter sibling he loved. With these powers she was . . . closer to a _weapon_ than a person. Dib couldn't handle thinking about his sister that way and so that's why he chose to shy away from that side of her.

As far as Dib was concerned, it didn't exist.

If he looked like an idiot refusing to acknowledge the existence in his sister, so be it.

Tak's eyes were wide, blinking rapidly. _That_ was in a human? Well, she'd give that much to Zim, he certainly knew how to find the a powerful female for a mate, even if she _was_ a _human_ girl.

"Now," Dark-Booty gave Dib a look just as he reopened his eyes. "Do you mean to tell me you didn't know about that ability of your sister?"

"She got it from an incident a few years ago, the one with Iggins, and that's all I know." Dib grimaced, shuddering. "Honestly, it's all I _wanted_ to know."

Tak wore a look of impression as the lights turned back on. "Certainly a powerful little thing."

"Why don't we just throw water on her?" Someone suggested, although nobody was quite sure if it was a joke or not. At the mention of water though, Dib saw Tak shudder out of the corner of his eye and smirked a little out of habit.

"Is no one concerned with the fact her kidnapping would only ensure our murder?" Dr. Membrane demanded, in angry disbelief. "I saw the way the Invader looked at my daughter when I attended their wedding. It was made very clear to me by how protective he was of her at that time that should we attempt something like this, he'd massacre the entire world before we got close to her."

"Gaz is almost as arrogant as he is!" Dib argued. "Zim is never able to keep her from fighting for herself."

"Even still, that seems to be worse." Another agent contradicted, frowning. "You say Invader Zim seems to have an unbelievable amount of arsenal in his PAK, but he's not quite the best hand-to-hand fighter. However, we've no idea of your sister's potential since you never paid attention to her extra abilities, and have nothing to go off of besides your extreme fear of fighting her. At least with Invader Zim we've got something to go off of. The Swollen Eyeball isn't willing to risk the chance that even _if_ we got past Zim and reached the girl we're kidnapping, we'd all be burned to death. It's a suicide mission!"

"I agree completely." Dr. Membrane agreed. "I've seen bits of what my daughter can do. She's trained herself; she learns with watching. Gaz is more deadly then even _she_ knows, threatened or otherwise. I'll admit, I too did not know about this power of hers. But that only proves we shouldn't do this."

"Well then we need someone on the inside." Tak insisted, cutting in, since that topic was getting them nowhere. "Not myself, even if I'd be the most resourceful in finding out Zim's weakness, since Zim and Gaz would never believe that, but someone who _Gaz_ trusts, since Zim will doubtless agree to anything she says."

Dib snorted. "Gaz doesn't trust _anyone _besides me, Dad, and Zim."

Tak contemplated, thinking over her time spent as an ignorant human but still in the human girl's presence. Then her eyes lit up and she smirked at him. "You are right, she doesn't trust anyone besides Zim and _you two_."

Dr. Membrane's brow rose. "What are you trying to say?"

Her eyes were venomous a moment as they flicked to him, but no one noticed. Her smirk broadened as she looked at Dib.

"I'm suggesting a surrender with a conflict of interest."

* * *

Gaz was sitting on the counter. Skoodge had been working on the opposite side of the room as Zim but after some time, he'd left, to go work on one thing or another in the manufacturing lab. Obviously, she was sitting on Zim's side, her legs over the edge as she watched him work. Zim glanced at her, wondering if she was reading the Irken lettering this was written in. She wouldn't be able to understand the terms that were used but still, it made him secretly pleased that she could read it at all.

"Curious to see what's going inside of you?" He teased, watching her.

Gaz glanced down at him before her eyes flicked back towards the screen, speaking quietly so that Skoodge, though in the other room entirely, with the door shut, could not hear her, resisting a smirk. "Sounds like what you said on our wedding night."

Zim's eyes widened before narrowing, glaring at her. "It's hardly fair to say such things like that when Zim is unable to touch you."

"You aren't _unable_ to touch me." Gaz corrected, careful to keep her face unreadable. "You're just too busy to touch me."

"Regardless, it's cruel."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It was funny and you know it. Stop being so whiny, you sound like Dib, a few weeks after I ate his Haunted Gummy Bear Collection."

"Well maybe if you had taken the proper seat I wouldn't be so irritable." Zim said insinuatively, pausing in his work to eye her fully.

Once again she glanced down, eying him, before finally letting herself crack a smirk as her eyes returned to the screen. "Mm, no, I'm perfectly comfortable right here."

Zim scowled at her, hissing barely loud enough for only her to hear. "You are such a tease!"

Gaz resisted a smirk. "I'm surprised you even know what that means. Most of your knowledge is PG13."

He eyed her purposefully, giving her a look. "As of recently, that has changed quite a bit, hasn't it?"

She rolled her eyes, hugging her knees loosely against her chest. "Ha ha. So what changes are you making to the formula?"

"I'm enabling it so that it's non-specific enough to be able to conform to your system," Zim explained, not looking up from his work as he spoke.

Gaz's brow rose. "It's normally that targeted?"

"*Quite the contrary, actually. The Pill was originally designed to conform around quite a few species, the ones most appealing to the Tallest, since it's normally only them who use it. Although the possibility of a Tallest mating with a less common race was noted upon the Pill's manufacturing, which is why the Pill is so easy to make modifications to. Regardless, these species were all relatively close to the Irken anatomy. You, however, are human-."

"Meaning I have no compatibility with the Pill." Gaz amended, thoughtfully.

Zim nodded, smirking at her briefly. "That's correct. There's never been a union such as ours. Your systems are built nothing like the other races the Pill is used to working with. The human body, as you well know, is immensely sensitive. I'm simply programming the Pill to accept your systems while putting in enough information so that your weak insides don't have a negative reaction to it, like mistaking it as a threat and attacking it before it can perform its purpose."

"So," Gaz's eyes narrowed as she processed the information. "You're making it non-specific enough to accept my race as a user, but . . . detailed enough so that it'll work in my body without any negative reactions?"

"Not particularly detailed, mind you," Zim corrected, but made no objections to the rest of her summary. "It won't care about race, gender, traits, or anything like that; just that you're human."

"Sounds complicated," She muttered, scowling at the formula.

"Completely," Zim agreed. He shook his head, frowning a bit as he reread the information on the screen. "It's lucky that Irkens are taught in all fields of expertise before being assigned a mission. I don't think I'd trust anyone but myself with this task."

Gaz smirked at him. "You don't think anyone else is competent enough?"

"No other Irken has the same knowledge of the human body as I do; no joke intended." He added, as an afterthought. "I wouldn't have believed anyone to be capable of creating a safe enough synthesis."

"How overprotective of you," Gaz commented dryly, smirking at him.

Zim childishly stuck his tongue out at her, briefly, pausing from his work as he scowled at her. "One would think you'd be more grateful about how meticulous Zim is about your safety."

"One would also think you'd know better by now," Gaz retorted smugly. However she let her legs fall back over the edge of the counter, getting up and sitting herself on his lap. "However, you aren't exactly the brightest person in the world, so I'll let you have your moment."

"You are well aware I'm capable of going far more than a moment." Zim retorted, smiling, placing his hands loosely on her waist. Then his grip tightened as his brow rose. "Or need I remind you of what I can do?"

Gaz snickered, resting her head under his chin, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Shut up and work."

"It's going to be rather hard to focus with the new seating arrangements."

"Hey, you asked for this." Gaz insisted, pulling up her head to give him a look before replacing it.

Zim sighed, readjusting their position so he could continue to work comfortably, pressing her closer against him so that he could get closer to the keyboard. After a moment though, he just replaced his hands around her, his PAK extending thin, sharp, protrusions that often acted as hand-substitutes for Irkens. "It seems I ask for a lot of things that compromise me in the end."

"I'd say that's a valid statement."

Zim smiled to himself, rubbing her back with his hands as he worked with his appendages. He felt her slowly relaxing against him, her body not quite as awake as it had just been.

"Are you going to fall asleep on me?" He mused, curling a strand of her hair around his finger.

She huffed and some of the tension in her body returned. "No."

Zim chuckled, running his hands through her hair gently. He was perfectly fine with her falling asleep now, if she was tired enough. She'd gone far too long mentally unstimulated and he was well aware human minds grew tired when they were bored. So after his public conference in the morning (he'd had one this morning as well, begrudgingly wishing everyone a 'Happy Halloween') he'd be arranging for her to be properly entertained while he was busy creating her Pill for tomorrow.

It was probably getting dark now, he noted, glancing at the clock. He resisted a shiver, not wanting to alarm Gaz. He grimaced at the thought of all those insufferable, horrible little worm-babies dressing up in costumes far uglier than their real faces. Then they went around, waddling their ever-growing little bodies from house to house, being rewarded by being fed more, disgusting little treats. If Zim had the chance to again, he'd pass out poisonous treats instead of barring up his house again.

The thing that pulled him from his train of thought, waiting for the computer to load and run it's scenario, was the gentle sigh as Gaz relaxed entirely on his lap. He couldn't help but smile down at her, gently stroking her hair, knowing she had fallen asleep. It was sort of funny to him that in an environment that normally called for strict attention, his wife had fallen asleep.

Wife. Such a strange word to him, but one that made a warmth fill his chest, making him content.

"Computer," he stated, quietly, so as not to wake his _wife_. A beeping responded. "Project live image of the outside events on the Viewing Screen."

He rolled his chair back, towards the larger screen behind him. Gaz shifted in her sleep, but thankfully, still did not wake. Zim waited patiently, completely content as he held her sleeping form in his arms. When the image projected, he scowled at the sight of the children, body tensing with revulsion as they flocked the streets outside the castle, ugly little faces peering curiously through the gates before they were hurried along by their guardians. However he relaxed himself again when Gaz once again squirmed subconsciously, holding him just a bit tighter.

"Silly little Gaz," he murmured, kissing her head softly, stroking her face with one finger. "How did I bring myself to part from you?"

Of course, he received no answer. He turned his attention back to the screen, trying to understand the insanity that was the human culture.

"Uh, s-sir?"

Zim craned his head around, turning his chair halfway, moving as little as possible. He spoke aloud, but at a careful volume. "What is it, Invader Skoodge?"

"Your computer messaged your formula to me after it had a successful run. I looked it over and deemed it appropriate. The Delivery Service told me to ask if you'd like to manufacture the Pill, or if you would like them to do it. They need to know whether or not to send you the appropriate supplies."

Zim pondered this. Sure, he was able to write the recipe, but physically_ make_ the thing? Zim had never been good with building things from scratch. After a moment he shook his head.

"No," He said, glancing down at Gaz's sleeping form. "Send it to the Technicians and tell them to use the usual protocol upon sending the package."

"Very well, sir," Skoodge bowed and left the room again, back into the lab.

Gaz made another noise in her sleep, a small little sigh. Zim glanced down at her, wondering if she'd wake up if he brought her to their room to sleep more comfortably. Not that _he_ was uncomfortable, but he'd heard that if humans slept in a strange position in their sleep, they woke with stiff or sore muscles. Obviously, he did not wish that on Gaz, but she was a light sleeper when it came to being moved and he didn't want to wake her either.

It was Zim's turn to sigh. "You are trouble even when you are unconscious."

As if in response, her mouth twitched, towards a smile.

* * *

A bit of a short chapter.

Because it's a filler chapter.

GAH, I FEEL LIKE ALL OF THESE ARE FILLER!

And like Zim and Gaz's plot right now is just to be adorable together.

BUT NOT FOR LONG! NEXT CHAPTER, YOU ALL WATCH OUT, CUZ I'M RE-INTRODUCING A DYNAMIC!

**"See what I did right there? Don't do that."  
-My sister, driving me home from a doctors appointment.**

**Clearly, she canot drive (and I hope she reads that, too, because she just became aware of my oddly popular story)**

Till then!


	29. Strong Enough

Invader Johnny

Chapter 28

Well I'm going to say it now because it's been driving me nuts since day one, The little fat Irken's name is spelled S.K.O.O.D.G.E NOT Scoodge... I'm kinda weird like that LOL.  
Anyways even as a filler chapter you STILL managed to keep me interested, I liked it when Prof. Membrane saw Gaz's happiness as a more important subject than a mission to save the world, looks to me that he finally got his priorities straight.  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**O.O**

**NADGKJAFDGFDGH RTJKYERKTHAKDFASKDLFJ! And you tell me this NOW? (face palm)**

**Great. Now I have to go back when this is done and fix it all again! Cool! Ugh, but thank you for pointing it out, at least.**

***hangs head in defeat***

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 28

That's not filler. Another chapter of smut would be filler. Trust me.  
Don't listen to me. I'm just jealous because *my* sister does not take an interest in my stories.

**Ugh, it still FEELS like filler.**

**And lol. I think it was only because I was so damn excited when telling her about it. She said she read the page, but she has yet to tell me what she thinks of it! :(**

**NYEH!**

ForceWalker

Chapter 28

Man, humans are so weak. They can't even handle a simple alien pill entering their bodies. How pathetic. Oh wait...I'm human...Awkward.  
In all seriousness, this was an interesting chapter. A surrender on the part of Dib and Tak? Well that can't turn out well in the slightest in my opinion. And of course, watching the newlyweds interact with one another is so good. You really capture the characters perfectly.  
And man, do Zim and Gaz have lots of sex or what?

**That awkward moment you're reading Invader Zim stories, bashing humanity and then you remember that you're human too.**

**Yup. Happens even more when you're writing them.**

**And no plan of Dib's ever goes right, but with Tak, you cannot be sure. Just the way I like it. :D Thank you for that, I'm always paranoid I'm going to step out of these character's vast but specific little personality-boxes.**

**Well, like I said before: Newlyweds; What're you gonna do? -_-**

Potatoes4Eva

Chapter 28

Hey, look, I'm famous again! Do you seriously have a video? I WANT THE VIDEO. I mean, I know a girl who's completely nuts, and I know how HER mind works (occasionally), so I need a new mind to slowly pick apart until there's nothing left. I mean, um... Who wants a pickle? *holds up jar of Dill pickles sheepishly*  
ANYHOO: This chapter made me all warm and tingly, like when you REALLY have to go pee, but you just woke up so you sit in your bed and kind of ENJOY having to go. Yeah... It was nice. :D And now I'm all suspiciousy because Tak speaks smartical and I'm just an idiot (but I'm not stupid; can't forget that). I SHALL ANTICIPATE THE NEXT CHAPTER LIKE I ANTICIPATE MY NEXT BOWL OF ICECREAM.

**LOL. Gaz's ability to read people like a book is actually based off of personal experience; knowing a person so well, you even know when they're not going to do something in character. It comes in handy figuring out who you can trust and who you can't, but, not so much fun when you're trying to add a bit of mystery to a relationship.**

**However, I also have the skill of being completely misleading. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW MY MIND! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**. . . . . . .**

**. . . . . . .**

**The "pee" thing had me dying.**

**The funny thing is it's true.**

KotaWingz

Chapter 28

If they try to kidnap Gaz, they're gonna die. I don't care how awesome I think they are, that is the truth.  
Heh heh, Halloween. The only time of the year when I don't feel bad about scaring little kids. Don't judge, I'm generally great with kids. Hmm... I think I'll dress up as Zim this year and try to recruit some older kids into Zim's army of evil. Is it sad that some of the kids from my high school come and trick or treat at my house?  
Oh well, that's not my problem. ^^ Great chapter!

**Omg I SUCK with little kids. They always have this unnatural curiosity towards me though, even though they're all kind of afraid of me. I think it's just the human tendency to want to discover what seemed different, but it makes me uncomfortable. Not that I hate little kids or anything, they're devious and adorable, but I'm not particularly good with conversing with them. :/**

**AND DO IT! DO IT _NOW, _DON'T EVEN WAIT FOR HALLOWEEN!**

**And no. It's amazing!**

I feel like if someone tried to draw out all the twists in my story, they'd end up with this beautiful expanse of scribbly nonsense.

FINALLY, A PLOT FOR ZIM AND GAZ AGAIN.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 29  
"Strong Enough"**

Gaz woke up to a gentle nudging.

She was immediately surprised to find herself in bed, not changed, but her shoes had been removed. She sat up, shaking the sleep from her head. Zim waited patiently, sitting next to her on the bed.

Her brow rose. "If you're waking me instead of hoping I'll sleep longer, this has got to be important."

Zim held his hand out. "It's done."

Her eyes widened. "But you just finished the formula."

"Yesterday," Zim replied, jerking his chin towards the clock. "You fell asleep. Close to a decent sleep, for once. I'm almost sorry to have to wake you."

"Well, yesterday _night_." Gaz insisted, eying the little white pill in his hand like it was the bane of her existence. "That's definitely not enough time to-."

"Irkens get things done much faster then humans do and with perfect accuracy every time." Zim interrupted. "It got here just now."

Gaz still continued to just glare at it.

Zim's brow rose. "Are you going to take it?"

"Taking it means I go meet the Tallest," she muttered, but picked it up between her to fingers. "Which is _still_ something I am not looking forward to."

Zim chuckled, kissing her on the forehead. "I will be with you the whole time. Nothing will happen unless I know you can handle it." And then he gave her a teasing, inquiring gaze. "Since when did I need to coddle you this much?"

"You don't," She flicked him, her finger sparking with her irritation as she did so, making him flinch away from her with a scowl on his face. "Just because I'm not fond of your leaders doesn't mean I'm going to chicken out and not take it."

To prove this, Gaz tossed the pill in her mouth, swallowing it down easily enough. It tasted kind of weird, but otherwise just felt like taking any other type of medication. Afterwards she grimaced though.

"Ugh," She shook her head. "Guess I should start packing, huh?"

Zim laughed again, placing her on his lap and holding her securely on the waist. "Not necessary. The house will do it for you."

"When do we leave?"

"I'll contact the Tallest now. You may continue to rest, if you can." He replied, although he made no move to get up or let her go, nuzzling his face into her neck with a content little smile. "I'll have Skoodge come watch you. You need to be monitored to ensure that you have no side-effects or reaction to the Pill."

"I'm going to take a shower," She informed him, dryly, a brow rising. "You really want Skoodge watching me for that?"

Zim scowled, clearly disagreeing with this plan. So he sighed, "Very well. I'll stay to ensure nothing happens while you bathe yourself. Then, if you want, you may come with me to inform the Tallest of our arrival."

"Fine."

She got up, stripping as she walked, for the sole purpose of antagonizing Zim. He glared after her, hands curling into fists as he rolled his eyes and got up, sitting next to the door with his back to her. He flinched when he heard the water running and she laughed, apparently having noticed.

"You haven't bathed in glue in a while, then?" She called, amusement lacing her voice.

Zim snorted, leaning against the doorframe with his knees bent, still not facing her. "Of course I have. That doesn't mean your _disgusting_ Earth-liquid hasn't left its mark on Zim."

"Whiner," She retorted.

His brow rose. "Am I truly weak for fearing something that burns me?"

"Oh, definitely."

He snickered at her reply that held no hesitation. "I suppose I should've expected that answer from _you_."

"Of course." There was a slight pause from her. "I would've expected you to be ogling."

"I'm well aware that the general population of humans prefer to bathe in privacy." Zim retorted, folding his arms behind his head casually.

Her voice was smug, for whatever reason. "Actually, some humans bathe with each other."

Zim's brow rose as he sat up, curious and confused. "Eh? What are you talking about?"

"Sometimes, on Earth, couples shower with one another. It's supposed to be an act of intimacy." Gaz explained, plainly. "Or, at least, that's what I _heard_."

Zim made a face of complete confusion. "Why would you need help bathing? Are all humans truly that incompetent some of them need help cleansing themselves? I thought only your handicap needed help in that category!"

"It's like sex, Zim. But in the shower." Gaz said, rolling her eyes. Then she smirked. "Apparently, _water_ turns people on."

"UGH! How disgusting!" Zim gagged, making Gaz laugh. The whole purpose of this conversation had been to gross him out.

Mission accomplished.

"Geez, what do humans _do_ all day? Fantasize about all the most revolting things they can come up with?" Zim demanded, looking like he wanted to be sick.

Gaz smirked viciously, carefully keeping her vindictive amusement out of her voice. "Actually, that's a rather common hobby for teenagers."

Zim was silent a moment.

"**_YUCK_**!"

She burst out laughing. "How do you not know this stuff already?"

"I was very careful to only research what I wanted to know," Zim replied, bitterly, thoroughly disturbed. His antenna were flat against his head, on edge and in a considerably worse mood then he had been before Gaz had started on this topic. "Thus, this information never came up in my data. _Thank Irk for **that**_."

The last part had been a growled utterance, but Gaz still heard it and once again snickered. "Regardless, it's still an opportunity to see me naked."

"As appealing as that idea is," The growl was not disgusted now. It was still laced with remaining irritation, but he sounded much more taunting. Not quite arrogant, but close enough. "I'm trying to keep from any delay. And seeing you naked would make Zim have to postpone this rather important call for another few hours."

Gaz rolled her eyes, but she was amused, knowing full well he was serious, despite his casual mannerisms. "Whatever."

The rest of her shower was spent in silence, the only sound the water running and Zim whistling to himself as he waited for her. When she was done, she found a towel, dried herself off thoroughly (a habit she'd gotten into shortly after she began dating Zim; unless she was mad at him, of course) and wrapped it around herself, heading towards the closet. She couldn't help but smirk when Zim carefully averted his eyes, turning his gaze towards the balcony, on the entirely opposite side of the room.

It could've a quick change, but Gaz was stalling. Eventually she located another dress that she deemed appropriate enough to wear before Zim's leaders and shoved it on, all the while hearing Zim whistling to himself, probably still sitting outside the bathroom. With a heavy sigh, Gaz exited, looking none-too-pleased to be going with him.

As she'd guessed, Zim was, in fact, still on the floor, his gaze turning towards her.

His gaze turned sympathetic. "You can stay in the room, if you'd like. I can tell the Tallest you are still sleeping."

"Let's just get this over with," She muttered, crossing her arms bitterly.

Zim stood up, adjusting his jacket and uniform. When he deemed himself appropriate he walked over to her, holding her tightly to him a moment before kissing her on the forehead, something he'd been doing a lot of, she noted. Then he cupped her cheek, smiling fondly at her.

"Nothing is going to happen." He insisted, gently, making her brow raise. "We will go, you will show off, and then we will come home. There is absolutely _no_ reason to be so unhappy about going to meet two of the most respected Irkens the universe has ever known."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I _guess_ I can be cooperative. Just this _once, _though. Don't expect me to do this again."

"Thank you." He bent down and kissed her, tenderly for a moment, before pulling away, a bit tenser then before. Gaz smirked, knowing he was reminding himself they had a call. "Let's go, then."

* * *

"You'll be leaving immediately, then?" Red questioned.

Gaz resisted a scowl at their eagerness. If she was half as excited as they were, maybe this wouldn't be so bad. But going through space just for the entertainment of two overgrown leaders would never be even slightly appealing to her; Gaz was _nobodies_ source of entertainment.

"Shortly after we end our transmission, My Tallest." Zim replied, nodding. "I've instructed Invader Skoodge; he should be able to handle things for the short while we are gone."

"You'll only be here for three days," Purple replied. "That should provide ample time for you to return to Earth and tend to the last of your details, correct?"

"Absolutely, My Tallest."

In truth, it would be cutting it a little close. But nobody argued with the Tallest; _especially_ not Zim.

"Very well," Red seemed pleased. "Then we will see you soon."

"See ya then!" Purple waved, then gestured to someone off screen.

The screen went blank.

Gaz let out a breath of aggravation. "You so owe me for this."

"I'll be sure to repay the favor," Zim replied, clearly amused at her behavior.

It was at that time Gir came running into the room, Minnie-Moose in his grasps, skidding to a halt in front of his two master's. He stared up at them in horror, as did (surprisingly; Gaz didn't know the thing could look anything but oblivious) Minnie-Moose, who let out a faint "Squeak!". Gir's eyes were beginning to water. The two shared a look of confusion before looking down at the two minions again.

Zim's brow rose. "What is it, Gir?"

"The little green man says you're leaving!" Gir cried out, squeezing Minnie-Moose tighter in his arms, like a doll. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it is, Gir." Zim replied, confused.

Gaz nearly groaned, her hand going to her face at his ignorant statement. Now they were probably going to start crying.

Which they did.

The little SIR unit burst into tears, far louder then Minnie-Moose, plopping down onto the floor, wailing, "You're abandoning us!"

Zim looked completely stunned at the accusation. His eyes narrowed in disbelief and irritation. "We are not!"

"Shut up," Gaz ordered him, kneeling in front of the two sobbing minions. "Gir. Minnie-Moose. Stop crying. We aren't abandoning you."

"Yes you are!"

"Squeak!"

"No, we're not." Gaz insisted, her finger twitching, wanting to hit them for their screaming, but resisting. Hitting them was just going to make things worse. "Zim and I are just going on a trip. We'll be gone three days, not a minute more. Skoodge is going to be watching you while we're _temporarily_ absent."

"Speaking of which," Zim looked around, confused. "Where _is_ Skoodge?"

"Ssh!" Gaz snapped, startling him into silence. She turned back to the two, who were just whimpering now. "I will make Zim call you every day, if you want. Okay?"

"_WHAT_?"

"I said 'ssh'!" Gaz hissed at him, over her shoulder.

Gir sniffled, bringing her attention back to him. "You promise you're coming back?"

"Yes," she replied, seriously, almost boredly. "We promise."

The two minions shared a look. Eventually they both nodded, sad, but satisfied with her answer. "Okay."

"We're leaving in a few minutes." Zim informed them, his tone not quite so angry now. It was just a bit tired, the voice of someone who had done this too many times. "Do you want to say goodbye _now_?"

"Okay!"

Gir rushed Gaz first, since she was closest and Minnie-Moose did the same. "Bye, Mistress!"

"Squeak!"

"Bye," Gaz reluctantly hugged them before quickly releasing them.

Then the two were upon an even more reluctant Zim, who stumbled as they pounced upon him.

"I'll miss you, Master!" Gir wailed, squeezing Zim rather tightly.

"Squeak!" Minnie-Moose cried, burrowing into his master's chest.

Zim shot Gaz a look of disbelief. She simply smirked at him, amused at the sight. She mouthed a mocking 'aww' at him, making him scowl. But he sighed, hugging both of them.*

"I suppose I will . . . miss you, too." He admitted, with a frown. Then it turned disgusted. ". . . Now let go of me."

They did, Gir holding Minnie-Moose tightly in his grasp. Then he turned to Gaz. "Every day, right?"

"Absolutely," She replied, shooting Zim a smug look while he scowled at her.

Truly, these were their damned kids.

"Okay then . . ." Gir's single antennae drooped as he stopped in front of the door, waving at them dejectedly. "Bye, Master. Bye, Mistress."

"Squeak . . ." Minnie-Moose added, also clearly saddened.

And then the two left, the doors shutting behind them as they whimpered, holding one another.

Zim shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"Every day," She reminded him, hiding her amusement, heading towards the opposite door.

Then his eyes snapped open as he chased after her. "GAZ!"

She just laughed at him.

That's what he got for getting her into this.

* * *

Dib couldn't believe he was actually going through with this.

Or, at least, trying to.

They'd amended the meeting on a sour note yesterday and were continuing it early morning, now.

"Neither of them will believe he's suddenly turned a new leaf," Dr. Membrane argued, shaking his head. "If Zim is as smart as Gaz, they'll know it's a trick. Dib won't get anywhere _near_ their fortress."

"Zim can be surprisingly dumb," Tak intervened, plainly. "And if my deduction is correct, Gaz would be more than willing to speak at least speak to her brother. They _are_ family, after all."

The Swollen Eyeball wanted more than just a talk, that much Dib knew. But that was all _he_ wanted. He needed to talk to Gaz. Not a brief, timed, anxious little squabble like when he'd crashed her wedding. A real, serious talk. About what they were going to do as siblings, what she wanted him to do. Had her little plan involved a role for him, or was he just dumped off after his rebellion had gotten her famous?

Dib had read the files the Swollen Eyeball had collected from her room. He'd seen his part written in her script, the way for her to get back to Zim. Somehow he couldn't find himself hating her for using him. It just made sense to him. If Dib had someone he loved, then he'd do anything to get back to her as well. But it still left that question that he needed to ask; Why _now_?

He was pulled back into the conversation by a rather icy retort of Tak's.

"Then he'll just have to be persuasive," Tak insisted, glaring at Agent Dark-Booty, probably the last one to have spoken. "I assumed you hired on people you thought were capable of field-work. If you think Dib is too _incompetent_-."

"That isn't what I'm saying." Dark-Booty insisted. "However, not everything can be handled with persuasion.

Dib's brow rose. Since when was Tak protective of _him_? As if hearing that thought her eyes darted to him, saw his inquiring expression and rolled her eyes. Dib nearly glared at her but he was still too confused. She looked away, listening to Dark-Booty's explanation. Dib decided he should start paying attention as well and did so.

"This is true," Tak admitted. "But this situation _can_. Dib is well aware of what-."

"Sir!" A man shouted, running into the room with a piece of paper in hand, interrupting Tak and capturing everyone's attention. Dark-Booty looked up, a brow rising. "Urgent news about the alien, sir!"

"Well?" He urged. "Go on, spit it out! What is it?"

"We've just got a message from our field-agent posted at the front of the alien's base!"

"_And_?" Tak hissed, losing her patience. Really everyone was.

The man looked to winded to care. "One of their ships has left, for space. We aren't sure if it's Invader Zim or Invader Skoodge, but one of them seems to be returning to their home-base."

Dib and Tak locked gazes, Dib paling considerably.

Tak nodded. They were sitting next to each other and she gripped his his shoulder solemnly.

"Zim's taking her to meet the Tallest," Tak announced, seriously. Dr. Membrane's eyes widened in surprise and Dib's face went into his hands. MiMi darted in front of Dib, peering at him through narrowed eyes as Tak addressed the company. "Zim is tall now. He has a mate. The Tallest have called him back so that they can meet her and evaluate her, since she is not of the Irken species."

"Evaluate?" Dr. Membrane repeated, demandingly. "What _kind_ of evaluation?"

"A series of tests, to prove herself." Tak replied, glancing at Dib again, who looked completely stricken. She'd warned him about this. He was already as frightened as his father soon would be. "Strength, agility, probably testing her powers as well."

"Why is that so bad?" One of the agent's asked, eyes flicking to Dib's terrified state.

Tak sighed. "In Evaluations, depending on how protective the Irken of the relationship is, mates can sometimes . . . get hurt."

"Is he taking her to be executed?"

"Absolutely not." Tak insisted, through narrowed eyes. She really didn't like these people. Dib was far more open when it came to studying another race's ways of working, but these people always assumed the worst. The Irken race was proud and strong, not barbaric. _Humans_ were the disgusting ones! "They have to have some reference to look at the abilities the subject already has. Zim probably sent the Tallest a video of her participating in some training program or something. But the Evaluations are always fair and their mate is able to intervene at any time. The Tallest know better than to threaten the well-being of an Irken mate; they're always very defensive of them. No one in the universe is stupid enough to harass the mate of an Irken, especially one with Zim's height and his irrational temper."

Dr. Membrane seemed relieved, but wary. Dib, on the other hand, was imagining his sister, meeting the Irken leaders. Sure, he had met them once when he was a child, after breaking into Zim's house when he'd been who knows where and had communicated with them over the transmission, but at the time he'd been to elated to analyze them properly. Only when he had returned home did he realize how potentially dangerous they were. Sure, they were mainly in charge because they were taller than everyone else but still, who knew what they were capable of?

But Tak seemed to respect them still, even after what they'd done to her. So . . . what did _that_ say about their character?

"And Zim's super protective of Gaz," he admitted, begrudgingly. "I don't think he'll let them try anything she couldn't handle. But this is his leaders." He looked to Tak. "Do you think he'd refuse a request of theirs?"

"Zim has always been obedient," Tak agreed, nodding. "But Irkens protect their mates no matter what. It's not uncommon for an Irken with a mate to challenge a Tallest when it comes to that mate's well-being. Zim would do it, I have no doubt about that."

Dib began to relax, slowly, but not by very much. His stomach was in knots. Zim could be as bold as he liked, but that didn't change the fact his sister was now so far out of reach she was out of orbit. What if something happened to her on Irk? Would Zim be so protective when his little sister didn't meet his expectations and embarrassed him in front of his Tallest?

_Don't think like that, Dib!_ He ordered himself, squeezing his eyes shut. _Gaz can take care of herself. And even if she can't, Zim DOES love her. He'll take care of her . . . He **has** too . . ._

"Well then this meeting is void of purpose." Dark-Booty suddenly said, getting to his feet. "We can't infiltrate if there's no one there to communicate with. This meeting over."

The rest of the adults filed out the room. Eventually only Dib, and Tak remained.

Tak swore in Irken. "She's out our system now. There isn't anything we can do, Dib. Even if we had a ship, it would be ridiculous to go after her now. We just have to sit and wait." She gave him a slightly sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."

Dib nodded, his head lowering to the table. "Thanks for trying to help."

From the doorway, Dr. Membrane paused, looking back at Tak, who felt his gaze and glanced up at him. She glared at him when he didn't look away and after a moment, he nodded and left.

* * *

*LMAO. Family moment.

Okay, another short one.

I think I lied. I don't remember.

Next chapter; Tallest.

Yay?

**Daily Quote:**

**"You need to pace yourself, kiddo. You've got to give your body time to build up its stamina again."  
"But you don't understand, I can't do that! I'm too much of a spaz to pace myself!"  
-Me and my father, talking about me and my habits in soccer practice. I run around until I collapse.**

**Literally. :D**

**But I have yet to do that, so far, so clearly, I am doing something wrong.**

Till then.


	30. Live and In Person

Yesh, my pets, the Tallest.

And Gaz.

In a room together.

. . .

This isn't going to be pretty. Also, this is the 30th chapter and it isn't wrapping up yet.

This story is like the last two combined (in length). Holy crap.

My apologies if Zim seems slightly out of character or something. Last night I had a dream that I got into this HUGE argument with him and we were antagonizing each other purposefully, where my other friends who also featured in my dream continued to feel uncomfortable around us. Seriously, I told my friend about it (he played a larger role in my dream then the rest of my friends, cuz he's like my big brother) and HE laughed at how ridiculous it was. And he's weirder then I am! But yeah, I'm kind of mad at him now.

YES, IT TOOK THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY TO GET THERE! SO?

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 30  
"Live and In Person"**

Gaz couldn't help fidgeting, her fingers twitching in her lap.

Zim glanced at her hands repeatedly. Her face was trained downward, eyes narrowed in whatever thoughts were irritating her. He chuckled lightly, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Three days, Gaz." He reminded her. "It's not forever."

"I know, I know." She mumbled, looking out the window. One would thing she'd be mesmerized by the stars around them, but she was not. She barely paid them any mind. After all, she had been in space before, as a child, rescuing Dib from Zim once. It hadn't impressed her then and it did not impress her now. "It's going to _feel_ like forever, though."

"What can I do to make this easier for you?" Zim questioned, taking her hand in his other, since the Voot Runner was on autopilot anyways.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Nothing. I'll tough it out. It's no big deal."

"It's enough to bother you." Zim insisted, smirking at her. "You're positive Zim can be of no assistance?"

She huffed. "_Yes_, Zim. I'll be fine, seriously. Stop asking me."

He sighed and nodded, holding her to him closely. "Very well. But tell me at once if there's anything I can do to help."

"You can be quiet, for starters."

"Can do!"

Gaz rolled her eyes.

It left them in comfortable silence. Or at least, silence neither of them minded.

Zim was in inner turmoil, though he refused to show it on the outside. He was truly frightened for Gaz's well-being here, or, during her trials to be more exact. What if she had a reaction to the Pill during one of her tests? What if she got hurt? Zim would never forgive himself if she got hurt. He'd be making it respectfully clear to the Tallest he would be present for her events. It wasn't that he didn't trust Gaz or the Tallest, but accidents happened. Daily, on a planet that lived and thrived off of war.

Gaz, on the other hand, was looking forward to the fights; the only thing she was looking forward to. She _hated_ diplomacy. It was one of the reasons that she tended to avoid all of the conferences Zim went to. Politics were what had actually kept her from trying to take over the world herself, when she was a child and stopped making up plans; Who wanted to deal with a bunch of old men?

Well, she'd be doing the same thing now, except the men were green.

Wait a second.

"Hey Zim?"

"Hmm?" He asked, curling a strand of her hair around her finger.

"How old are your leaders?"

Zim's brow rose. "In human terms or the actual years of life?"

"What do you mean 'human terms'?"

"Well, like I said about myself earlier, I am considered adolescent. And actually, the Tallest and I were in the Academy together, so we are about the same age as one another. So, to know their age, you'd have to know mine as well."

Gaz's eyes widened as she realized she had never made a decision about that. But then she rolled her eyes. "_Fine_. How old are you?"

Zim made a face of contemplating. "Eh, about . . . 159 years old."

Her brow rose. "And that's adolescence?"

"You're talking about a culture where the average specimen lives to be about five centuries old before they are killed in battle." He smirked at her. "So really, I'm practically a smeet."

"Ew," Gaz commented. "So you're about four times my age, but still considered a baby. That's . . . weird."

"I find it funny that I was completely oblivious of your existence for all of these years." Zim commented, continuing to coil strands of her hair around his finger. "I wonder how I would've reacted if I'd been told my future was to be Tall, with a mate of another planet; one that I had been _banished_ to."

"I feel like you would've been pleased with the height thing but kind of grossed out that your mate wasn't an Irken." Gaz replied bluntly, watching that lock of her hair being played with.

Zim chuckled, kissing her. "Probably."

"159, huh?"

"Yup."

"I think we've got to be the weirdest couple in existence."

"On the contrary, we're particularly normal. Or, at least, our compatibility is. We have documentation of a Tallest with a Slorgbeast as a mate. Now _that_ is weird."

"What the hell is _Slorgbeast_?"

"Something I will never let you see."

"Why?"

"Because you would lose your appetite. Forever. And I can hardly have you starving to death."

Gaz snickered.

"**Proximity Warning: Approaching the Armada.**"

At once Gaz sat up, looking out the windows, which she had not been paying attention to. Zim turned the Voot Runner off auto-pilot, hands running across the controls as he took charge of his ship. Gaz's eyes narrowed at all the ships passing in and out, all off to who knows where, to do something undoubtedly destructive.

_Dib would love this_, she though sarcastically. Gaz couldn't help but become a little more depressed at the thought of her brother, but it quickly turned to irritation.

Stupid politics.

Instinctively, at all the faces she kept catching glimpses of through the ships, staring at her, Gaz pulled her hood up over her head. Yes, she had taken the cloak she was becoming rather fond of, was actually _wearing_ it, obviously. Zim noticed this action but did not look at her when he spoke, focused entirely on driving.

"Remove that when you are brought before the Tallest." He instructed, politely, but Gaz could hear the nerves in his voice.

Ugh.

Did she mention she hated democracy?

Gaz watched as the ship headed towards one of the many openings in the ginormous ship. What had Zim called it again? Oh yeah, 'The Massive'.

_Well_, she eyed it with indifference. _It certainly lives up to its name._

The faces inside ships disappeared, for the moment, as they physically entered the tunnels. Zim turned the headlights on, but Gaz wondered why he needed to. The walls were lit up on each side with a giant, green stripe through the middle, Irken lettering on it. The ship was moving to fast for her to read what it said but she recognized the characters.

The radio did not crackle to life. It beeped, and then there was a voice.

"**_This is Control; State your Identity and Purpose._**"

Gaz's brow rose.

Zim's hand went to his antennae, creating a headset with them, which was highly amusing to her.

"**Invader Zim; Reporting to the Tallest.**"

Their was a pause.

"**Proceed . . . Invader Zim.**"

Zim's antennae snapped back up on his head and he looked completely unreadable. Gaz smirked a moment, knowing full well how nervous he was, before creating her own emotionless facade.

The tunnel opened up shortly after into what looked like a giant parking garage, ships taking off and parking all around them, of a multiple variety. She kept her hood up, keeping away from the window enough so that those around them (the grounded ones, at least) could not see her, but she could see as much as she liked. Gaz felt like they were back in Skool, all these faces that looked similar but different from Zim's staring up at them. All the different colored eyes were intriguing to her, but not enough to where she peered closer.

No doubt their presence had been alerted beforehand, as Zim was directed (this she _could_ read when the landing coordinates popped up on his screen) to a platform rather close to the entrance. Gaz nearly smirked to herself. Reserved parking.

Clearly they were important guests, then.

Zim landed precisely, or so she figured. He looked completely focused, clearly wanting to make an impression on the members of his race he hadn't seen in years. He landed smoothly on the platform, the Voot Runner not jerking in the least.

Zim let out a sigh or relief after landing, the hood popping up and releasing the usual mist. He turned to her, a brow rising. "Ready?"

Gaz nodded. "And I'm going to be able to breathe, right?"

"The Pill will help you adjust. Tell me if you're light-headed, though. Let me help you out." Zim offered then, stepping out.

Gaz figured it was probably because she normally got out rather ungraciously, simply choosing to jump out. She always landed on her feet, it just probably wasn't very appropriate. So she waited, Zim walking over to her side and helping her down by gripping her waist and lifting her. Gaz could feel the stares boring into her cloak but Zim paid them no mind and so neither did she.

Until an Irken's voice cut through the rather muted noises of chit-chat around them.

"_ZIM_?"

He turned, a brow rising.

Gaz figured she was female. Her eyes were pointed at the end and she had the annoying, untraceable accent Tak had. Except this girl's eyes were an ice blue, and her antennae weren't quite as curly as she remembered Tak's being.

Zim's eyes narrowed and then widened. "_Tenn_? Is that you?"

She nodded, staring up at his tall figure. "Geez, Zim. I thought the rumors were false about you!"

Gaz could tell by the twitch of his antennae and the slightest of tugs at the corner of his mouth that he was secretly pleased. But he otherwise gave nothing away and just shrugged.

"We'll have to catch up later, Tenn." He insisted, politely. "The Tallest are expecting me."

"Oh, yeah, sure, of course! See ya, Zim!" She waved, darting off into the crowd, but staring after him.

Zim placed his arm around Gaz, leading her off. Gaz glanced behind her, but did not turn her head, letting no one see what she had done. Tenn was now surrounded by people, all of them speaking and shooting continuous glances after them.

"Old friend?" She questioned, quiet enough for only Zim to hear, as she had no doubt those around them were trying to hear their conversation.

Zim snorted, eyes focused ahead, ignoring those around them as he kept her possessively close to him. "Hardly. Invader Tenn never liked me after a certain incident where there was a mix-up between a gift of hers and mine."

Gaz's brow rose. "You'll have to tell me about that later."

He chuckled, keeping the smile off his face as he pretended to be clearing his throat. "Of course."

Zim led Gaz through the sea of short little aliens, each of them either blatantly staring or sneaking glances at them. Gaz sighed. She was going to have to get used to this while she was here. Granted, most of them had eyes for Zim, but there were enough people staring at her as well to make her irritable.

As if feeling this, Zim muttered. "Please be patient. We're almost to the stations. You won't have to see them again in a few minutes."

Gaz huffed. "The things I do for you."

"I'll repay you later." Zim promised, squeezing her a bit tighter to him for a moment.

They walked out of what Gaz was going to call the Parking Garage and into a room of what looked like lamps and circular stages. But seeing those around them using them, Gaz was able to deduce their purpose. They were transporters.

"We aren't using those, if you're wondering," Zim explained to her, quietly. "The Tallest gave me private instructions to use _their_ transporters, since we obviously would not be read correctly from the height difference."

Gaz acknowledged his explanation with the slightest of nods, doing her best to ignore the sea of small, green faces. Finally they passed, into a much more secure area, where two guards stood at the entrance.

They, too, stared.

Gaz nearly growled.

Zim simply nodded at them. "We have private instructions to use this transporter."

Dumbstruck, they stepped aside, staring after Gaz and Zim as they passed into the doors. It wasn't until after the doors shut behind them that they stopped and shook it off, completely baffled on the inside. It looked very much like an elevator to Gaz. Especially with the numbers going up as it started moving.

Gaz gave an audible sigh of relief, now that they were alone. "Geez! If we were on Earth, I would've punched someone by now."

Zim's expression turned sympathetic as his hand cupper her face under the hood. "My greatest apologies, Gaz. But it's only the Tallest and their immediate surrounding Irkens in the control room now. No crowds."

Gaz nodded, collecting herself. "Alright. But you seriously owe me."

Zim smirked at her, pulling her rather tightly against him. "As I said before, rest assured, you will be paid back in full."

Her brow rose and the elevator, as she had decided to call it (she figured she was going to be naming a lot of things), dinged. Zim immediately released her, going back to their original position, with his arm possessively around her waist.

And now it was the soldiers' turn, who were lining the halls, to stare at them.

Zim pressed her just a bit closer to him as he led her forward, knowing full-well she was getting irritated. And it made him nervous; what if she took out her frustration in front of the Tallest? No, Gaz would never be so reckless. She was always in control of herself.

. . . So then what if she did it on purpose?

He didn't have time to become terror-stricken, as the doors opened then, revealing to figures up on a platform in a circular room, surrounded by oblivious Irkens who only paid attention to their work (a fact which Gaz was immensely grateful of). However, she didn't dwell on these uninterested figures long, as immediately she became aware the two dominant persons in the room, who Zim was trying very hard not to stare at.

"Ah, Invader Zim!" Red shouted, both of them having turned towards the two as the door slid open. "Finally you arrive!"

"And with your . . . mate, now, I'm assuming?" Purple questioned, his brow rising as he looked between the two.

Zim nodded, bowing low, releasing Gaz as he folded his arms behind his back. "Yes, My Tallest. It's an honor to be in your presence again."

"Of course." Red agreed, not too humbly. His eyes went to Gaz, curiously. "And you are the girl on the transmissions, yes? What are you called, again?"

Gaz stepped forward, next to Zim, removing her hood and bowing her head respectfully as well. "Gaz, Your Highnesses."

They chuckled again at her terms. Zim was immensely grateful, even if he knew she was playing them. It unnerved him a bit how easily she knew how to get on his leaders' good side but he was too relieved to be anxious now. Especially since she had remembered to remove her hood.

"Those terms!" Purple laughed, "How many of them are there?"

Gaz blinked a few times, thoughtfully, but not dumbly. "Quite a few."

"We look forward to hearing them, Gaz." Red intervened. "So, did you have a nice flight, Invader Zim?"

"Yes, My Tallest," Zim replied, nodding. He'd straightened by now. "Although it seems rumors of our arrival spread throughout the ship. We were expected."

"Those Service Drones," Red scolded. "Always so nosy."

"And they have the biggest mouths," Purple agreed, also seeming none-too-pleased their little secret had gotten out. But he shrugged it off. "Ah well. We'll deal with them later."

"You must be tired." Red added, smiling at them. Although it gave Gaz the creeps, she did not show it. It was like Zim's smile, except, well, smarter. A bit more vicious then Zim's, which was normally playful or mocking. It reminded her of her own face when she was smirking, a thought she was not fond of. "We've set up a room for you two based off of what information you sent us, Zim."

"Although, it doesn't have water in it." Purple made a face, shivering a bit. "It _does_ have an ample, harmless substitute though, if you need it."

"I have to ask, Gaz," Red questioned, peering at her. "What's with the hood? Is that some type of human thing?"

Zim nearly groaned, fearing what her response would be. He could just imagine her saying something blunt, along the lines of 'To keep the stares of your species off my face'. However, he was pleasantly surprised at her response.

"Yes," She replied, nodding. "It's rude for humans to show their faces to anyone besides the royalty of the estate first; especially when they are coming to see the royalty."

Zim nearly shot her a confused look. That was a complete lie, but still, a convincing one.

The Tallest made noises of curiosity.

"Huh," Purple looked to Red, jokingly. "Maybe _we_ should start that tradition."

They laughed. Zim and Gaz offered smiles.

"Well, we're busy at the moment." Red commented, ceasing his laughter. "And we're aware that it's late, in Earth standards. We'll leave you two to your room."

"We'll have a Drone come and fetch you in the morning." Purple added, looking to Gaz with a smile she was slightly more comfortable with, earning him a slightly more sincere smile. "I know _I'm_ always cranky when I've been traveling a few hours."

"Your trials will start around the afternoon." Red informed her. "We'll fill you in when we see you in the morning."

"Tootles!" Purple shouted, waving enthusiastically, like he always did when they called.

Red snapped his fingers. An impressive feat, since he only had two. "Guards; escort them to their room."

"Yes, My Tallest." The guards said in unison, bowing. Then they turned to Zim and Gaz. "This way, please."

"Let them use our means of transportation," Purple called after them. "After all, they wouldn't fit in the _common_ modules."

Gaz heard them snicker, like they had some type of inside joke. With how much time they probably spent together, she wouldn't be surprised. Zim replaced his arm around her, leading her as they followed behind the two guards. Their remark left her wondering what time it was. They were led to another elevator, where the guards inserted their PAK appendages in a data transfer. Gaz's brow rose but she said nothing.

_Well, that would certainly keep outsiders out of these elevators, that's for sure. _She thought sarcastically, returning her face to its former, monotonous facade.

It was a silent ride, of which Gaz was grateful of. The two Irkens made no attempt to converse, as humans might have. Zim looked straight ahead the whole time and Gaz kept her hood down, figuring wherever they were going was probably relatively deserted anyways. After the somewhat long ride, the doors opened to reveal a long hallway.

"No one else is staying in these rooms," A guard explained to them as they walked. "We haven't had visitors in a while, as you well know, Invader Zim."

"Of course," Zim agreed, as they turned the corner.

Eventually they stopped in front of a door.

"This is your room." The guards nodded to them, turning to leave.

Zim pressed his palm to the handle and then Gaz realized where'd he'd got the idea for the scanning.

"Nice," She commented.

He grinned at her. "An Invader always uses the resources given to them."

"And apparently steals the most appealing ideas," Gaz retorted, walking into the room as he opened the door for her.

It was pretty big, extremely high ceiling. They'd probably prepared for anything, since they had no reference for Zim's height or hers. It was about the same size as their first room, the one back at the fortress, and looked relatively similar in appearance, the only major difference being the absence of a balcony. Or windows, for that matter, but Gaz hardly minded.

Zim reached into his PAK, removing the chip that had her wardrobe designed into it. He had attempted to explain it to Gaz on the ride up but she had quickly gotten bored with the explanation and decided she didn't particularly care anyways. Zim went over and began programming it in, while Gaz went and looked around in the bathroom, which was also where there were differences, but only in color really. Clearly Irkens didn't put much thought into interior design. The thought made her smirk.

Gaz went over to the mirror, examining herself. Gaz was normally a bit disheveled, after any sort of travel, space or otherwise. She noted she was bit paler then usual and the hood had pushed a few hairs out of place, but other than that she was fine.

"Like what you see?" She questioned, not turning around.

Zim, leaning against the doorframe and simply eying her, smirking, stood up and encircled her in his arms from behind. "Of course."

"What time is it?"

"About seven." Zim replied, holding her tightly against him. "Not particularly late, but I'm sure the Tallest meant well when they insisted you rest."

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Seven?_ Little kids_ have later bedtimes."

"We are to stay in this room, as instructed. However, if you insist on staying up later, I'm sure we can think of _something_ to pass the time."

To demonstrate, Zim's fingers unclipped her cloak and it crumpled to the floor, pooling around their feet. Gaz's brow rose, eying the discarded clothing as Zim's mouth paid tribute to her neck.

"Should we really be doing this on this ship?" She questioned, slightly amused and slightly curious.

Zim chuckled, his fingers spidering along her ribcage as he spoke. "I'm actually starting to believe that they sent us here early purely for this purpose."

"_Ew_," Gaz commented, teasingly, eyes darting around. "Do you think they're watching us?"

Zim snorted, rolling his eyes. "I highly doubt it. That's completely disrespectful to one Irken for another to attempt to watch them with their mate. Despite some humans feeling stimulated after watching tapes or reading stories about others in sexually gratifying acts*, it's extremely frowned upon in the Irken society."

"Mm," She replied, nodding, looking up in the mirror. It was an interesting sight, Zim holding her. So _that's_ what it looked like, then, when he was holding her. Gaz was used to feeling his passion, not seeing it. But the look in Zim's eyes was a familiar one and she smirked. "So we're safe, then?"

"Absolutely," He agreed, turning her in his arms to face him. "Also, you fell asleep last night and I was working."

"A whole twenty-four hours," She replied sarcastically, shoving away from his and stripping as she walked to the bed. "You must feel so robbed."

"You've no idea," Zim retorted, removing his own uniform as his PAK dissolved into his skin.

* * *

*Because NO ONE does that . . . hehehe . . . irony . . .

Eh, did you guys want Dib and Tak in the next few chapters?

Well, they'll be in the next one.

Only a few things left in the story. But I don't know how many chapters it's going to take.

Till then!


	31. For Your Entertainment

**OKAY BEFORE YOU ALL YELL AT ME FOR REVIEWS/DAILY QUOTE:**

I was at my friends house and realized I'd forgotten to update before I got there and so NINJA-SNUCK into her computer room, logged in, updated, logged out and shut off the computer again before anyone noticed my absence. I DID THAT FOR _YOU, _taking time out of my social life because I love ya'll so much! ^_^

So don't be mad. It wasn't my fault (okay it was, but sssshhhh!).

Reviews now!

xoAmaxi

Chapter 29

Awww, I want a Gir and a Minimoose for children.  
Waitwut.  
.. Cute chapter, GAZ AND ZIM ARE FINALLY LEAVING TO MEET THE TALLEST.  
This is bound to get interesting..  
Ugh, man, you have me checking this site every hour for an update. I simply can't wait. o.o

**LOL. NO, you don't!**

**You would end up being one of those tired parents that goes out in public with their bratty, over-excited children running amuck while you just kind of boredly sit there, not really caring anymore.**

**AND I WON'T WISH SUCH FATES UPON MY REVIEWERS.**

**Hehe, I do that refresh-thing a lot for stories. I check hourly. XD**

KotaWingz

Chapter 29

Gaz could probably kick the Tallests' butts. The next chapter should be awesome!  
And I am currently doing my best to convince a friend of mine to watch invader zim, but it is not going too well. She's too lazy to get on youtube to watch stuff.

**OMG, MAKE HER! FORCE HER INTO SUBMISSION!**

**. . . Do it . . .**

**Invader Zim deserves the effort. Just spam her inbox with videos, that's what I do to my friends who won't watch things. Eventually they're like, "FINE!" and do it.**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 29

...  
Yeah, okay, some of this could have been put in with the previous chapter.

But I'm, like, the queen of filler, so I don't care.  
Next chapter the story moves and that's all that matters.

**Yeah, you see? Filler.**

**And NO. I like your story! It's like . . . . BAM . . . . BAM and so on. Like important thing, important thing, important thing MAGICAL NINJA FIGHT.**

**. . .**

**Okay maybe not a LITERAL magical ninja fight, which would be amazing (but have absolutely nothing to do with ANY IZ story) but it feels like it.**

**So yes! It moved! And now it's going to please you all, I hope!**

ngrey651

Chapter 29

Hmm. Throughout the whole tale, the Tallest have been preoccupied with something previously not truly addressed. Now it seems you're about to address it. This intrigues me...and also worries me. Yes, Zim technically is ruling the world now, fulfilled his Invader duty, but if they decide for some reason that Gaz and Zim have to stay on Irk, or double-cross him (and I don't doubt they would), this would really throw a monkey wrench into EVERYONE'S plans.  
The suspense is killing me! Softly! With this song! XD

**. . . They're actually just running the Irken Empire. Nothing particularly important.**

**And you get bonus points for the song. It's well-known among my friends that me and my other friend know too many songs and can break into one for like, every sentence you say. (i.e. "It made sense in my head!" "In my head! I see you, all over me!" "SHUT UP!")**

**So you get points, if you didn't catch that. 367, to be exact.**

**Good for you.**

QueenofDoomydoom

Chapter 29

Wow, Zim and Gaz's relationship has changed drastically since you started writing. At first they hated eachother, hissing insults to the other, now Zim is coddling her. ^^ You are such an awesome writer... why do I have a feeling this one will have a sad ending? I'm a wimp when it comes to stuff like character angst

**I know, haven't they? I reread the first chapter of my old story and was like, grinning, screaming, "YOU LOVE EACH OTHER NOW YOU DEVIOUS SEX FIENDS! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**

**And then stopped and just began snickering to myself, re-reading the rest of it and being like, "Aw, I love you two."**

**Even if they couldn't hear me, of course, and they are subjects of my overstimulated imagination. I love my imagination then!**

**Anyways, the ending is . . . No, no, I won't ruin it! ^_^**

Torrasque666

Chapter 30

Loled at the Snorgbeast bit. Sounds hilariously disgusting. All in all, I enjoyed this chapter. Not a lot of action(in either sense) but it wasn't filler either...very nice...

**Haha, nope, not MUCH whoring around.**

**But this chapter is fully Zim/Gaz so you know SOMETHING happens.**

ngrey651

Chapter 30

A few things, but no doubt important. Take your time. Also, saw your TVtropes page...NIIICE. I've got one for my own story, isn't it such a satisfying feeling knowing you made it to TVTropes? :D

**It just makes me feel like I've gotten an award. ^_^**

Invader Johnny

Chapte 30

Well Gaz's first meeting with the Tallest wasnt what I expect... I honestly hoped for some big argument of some sorts knowing Purple's stupidity and Gaz's foul temper.  
But alas both characters kinda surprised me here.  
Invader Tenn sure must have some resentment over Zim, I think she was only being kind because of his new stature nothing more.  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**I almost did that, but, Gaz didn't feel like embarrassing Zim.**

**Honestly. Sometimes it feels like these characters are just reacting to one another on their own and I'm just writing it down.**

THIS IS A SONG TITLE TOO! :D

WOOOOOO! Thumbs up for Adam Lambert!

In this chapter, I write scenes I've been avoiding! Yay!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 31  
"For Your Entertainment"**

Gaz woke up around what she guessed was morning, to Zim's nail tracing up and down her arm.

She sat up, looking at him. "What time is it?"

"Why are you so concerned with time?" He replied back, curiously, his head tilting to the side.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Because I don't want to go home to have my sleep all screwed up."

Zim smiled at her, tucking a strand of her hair back into place. "It's only 6. Normally I would be worried but you fell asleep rather early last night."

Gaz nodded, sitting up. "And normally I would pretend to try to go back to sleep, but on a ship full of people waiting for me to entertain them who don't sleep, I think it's best I get up now."

He chuckled. "Probably. Although I'm sure they'd understand you sleeping a bit longer, if you are truly tired."

"I'm only tired after sex," She replied curtly, getting up and heading to the closet.

Zim smirked, pleased with himself. He sat up, folding his arms behind his head as he watched her naked form, completely content. "Good to know. But you'll probably be tired by the end of today, as well, what with the trials and what not."

"At least I'll be doing _something_ interesting while I'm here," She muttered, digging through her wardrobe for some type of combat clothes. Eventually she settled on pants and a black, sleeveless shirt. Probably not the best protective clothing but if she was quick enough, she wouldn't need protection.

"Besides _me_," Zim quipped, pleased with himself for the remark.

Gaz shot him a look of disbelief before just shaking her head and ignoring the statement. "What do you think they want me to do?"

"Fight, most likely." He retrieved her necklace, getting up and draping it over her neck after she put her shirt on. "You'll probably want that, as a weapon. I doubt you'll get as much enjoyment from any of _our_ toys."

Gaz grinned at the notion, despite the slightly displeased look Zim was giving her. She knew very well he would prefer it if she didn't have to fight at all but the reality was, she was going to fight and she was going to enjoy it. He made a face but walked off, getting dressed himself while she tended to her hygienic needs in the bathroom.

Today was going to be interesting.

* * *

"An army."

"What?"

Tak rolled her eyes, pointing to the picture in her hands, shoving it at Dib. "Zim's got an army training now. It was caught on tape."

"We already knew he had control of the army." Dib insisted, returning to his papers.

She glared at him. "_I_ didn't! And they're on his grounds now. That means he's got security. The Swollen Eyeball was right, we shouldn't have just barged in there and hoped for the best."

"You're not helping." He muttered, bitterly.

Tak hissed at him. "I'm keeping your stupid hide alive long enough for you to be able to talk to your sister. I'm being _practical_, something you clearly have no experience with!"

Dib gave her another look of disdain. Then he sighed, shaking his irritation off as he looked back to his work again. "Sorry. I'm just . . . frustrated. I don't mean to take it out on you."

Tak's brow rose. She had expected him to continue fighting her on the subject. She peered at him a moment before sharing a look with MiMi, who seemed as equally confused.

"Are you . . . alright, Dib?" She finally questioned, somewhat reluctantly. Truth be told, Tak didn't give a damn how he was feeling a majority of the time. But she was not used to him acting so depressed and angry. Normally, Dib was a rather upbeat (if not somewhat annoyingly optimistic) character. If he wasn't acting like himself though, he could jeopardize the mission. And that would be going against a lesson Tak had carved into her very soul since she was a smeet.

The mission was everything.

He looked up at her, a brow rising back. "Since when do you care if I am or not?"

She bared her teeth at him, irritated at his tone, even if the statement _did _have grounds. "It was just a question! If you won't answer it, I won't bother you about it!"

He gave her a wary look before sighing again, pushing his chair away from the table they were working at. "I don't know what I'm expected to do here, Tak. The Swollen Eyeball expects me to just forget Gaz is my sister and only thing about Zim, my dad is all of the sudden giving me free reign on my decisions. If Gaz were here she'd just tell me the obvious answer I always overlook because I make things too complicated, but she's _not_, so-."

"So you have me to do it instead," Tak interrupted, pointedly. "You're stressing things that will be of no benefit to you to figure out. Right now all we need to do is figure out a way inside Zim's fortress when he returns."

"But he has _two_ now." Dib insisted, aggravated with the situation at hand. "How do we know which one he's going to?"

"Obviously this second one," Tak replied, easily. "Otherwise Skoodge wouldn't be there. Zim wouldn't just leave Skoodge to finish up what he and your sister started."

"Good point." He admitted, touching his hand to his chin. "But that still leaves the question of how we're going to get inside. Knowing Zim has an army in there, whether they're defending him or not, the Swollen Eyeball isn't going to be willing to infiltrate."

"That depends," She corrected, thoughtfully. "Zim's army works in swarms. If we can condense them enough, it's possible they'd be useless. But that would require an immense amount of man-power to force the troops to delude enough so we stand a chance. Or at least last long enough for our purpose."

"It would take the whole organization," Dib agreed. "And they wouldn't do something like that unless we were forced to act, for whatever reason. Apparently, a full-scale invasion isn't enough for them to want to get off their asses."

Tak smirked at the last remark, but continued. "Or a 'last straw' of some sorts that needs to be pulled."

"So that's it then," Dib said, blinking his surprise. "We find out something Zim has done to piss off the Swollen Eyeball enough to the point where they'll attack, so we can get inside?"

"Precisely." She agreed, smirking. "There, now you're not so frustrated."

"Well we still need to find that motivational piece."

"Good morning, children! Glad to see youth up so early!"

They both turned to the door to find Dr. Membrane in it, looking as pleasant as ever (or at least, he sounded pleasant; you could never see enough of his face to know for sure).

Tak's lip curled back, automatically. Dib looked up, pleasantly surprised. Normally, Dib wasn't such a big fan of his absent father but considering the man was all he had left for the moment, he was willing to make an exception to his own rule.

"Hey, Dad," Dib said, smiling.

Dr. Membrane headed over, picking up a few files and skimming through them. "And what are you two up to?"

"We're just brainstorming." Dib explained, casually.

"Oh," he put the files down, glancing between the two of them. "And did you come up with anything?"

"No," Tak said, icily. Beside her, MiMi was especially tense. She stood up, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom."

She brushed past Dr. Membrane, her SIR unit following obediently after her, shooting a glare at Dr. Membrane before she darted off. Dib looked between his father and where Tak had disappeared to.

Alright now this just didn't make sense. It made sense when Tak hadn't met his father and the man was just a genius smarter then average, but now this was just getting kind of ridiculous. Dib was well aware Tak didn't like people in general, but around Dr. Membrane, she was just . . . _vicious_. Dib acted like he didn't notice but he'd seen the looks Tak had given his father any time he spoke, whether it was directed at her or not. She normally recoiled from people, not openly loathed them (with himself being the exception).

. . . What had gone on in that room when they'd been left alone together?

"Hey, Dad?" Dib questioned.

Dr. Membrane looked up from the files, "Yes, son?"

"Tak's been acting kind of strange, lately," Dib said, slowly, looking down at the folders, glancing up at his father from the corner of his eye. "Any advice?"

Dr. Membrane paused in his reading. Dib couldn't see it in his eyes, since they were covered, but he'd stilled. "Strange how?"

"I mean, I don't know if it's a female thing or an Irken thing . . ." Dib trailed of carefully, shrugging.

He eyed his father, who was flipping pages again. Dr. Membrane chuckled, picking up different pictures. "Well, if it's a female thing, son, I'm afraid no man can help you there."

Dib's brow rose. He hadn't answered the other question. "And an Irken thing?"

"You are the expert on them, are you not?" His father replied, easily. Too easily. "Shouldn't you be able to figure it out on your own?"

Dib continued to eye his father. Something was wrong. Dib had never been good at hiding things himself, but he was pretty good at reading people. And he'd always had a bit of a knack for reading his father, which was why he'd never been particularly fond of him. Dib wasn't able to delude himself into thinking his father always cared about them, while Gaz was. She was a master at reading people but, while Dib had never told her, she had a weak spot; their dad. Dib had never told her, because it would hurt her and the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt his sister.

But Dib could see through his father's shield of ignorance now. He knew something.

And he was going to find out what.

"Dad, I . . . Can I . . . I need to tell you something." Dib finally said, sullenly. "Can you sit down?"

Dr. Membrane's brow rose, but he did. "You're little friend will be back soon, son."

"No, she takes forever in the bathroom." Dib assured him, looking down at his hands. "Dad, about Tak . . . there's . . . something that you need to know about her."

Dib glanced up. He saw his father still entirely, poised, waiting. "And what is that, son?" His father's eyes narrowed. "You aren't going to tell me that she's pregnant, are you?"

"What? No!" Dib insisted, shaking his head vigorously. But he'd heard the false accusation. Dr. Membrane didn't believe that, he just wanted a distraction. "Of course not. We're totally platonic, Dad."

"Oh, good." His father reached across, messing with Dib's hair fondly; something he'd never done before. "You're too young to be a father."

"Dad," Dib insisted, getting back to the subject. "This is important."

Dr. Membrane chuckled, "Of course it is, son."

"Dad," His voice lowered considerably as he took a deep breath, speaking quietly as he leaned over to tell his father. "_Tak's . . . Irken_."

His father remained unaffected. "We already know she was raised by Irkens, son."

Dib's eyes narrowed.

He knew.

"No, she's not human, Dad," Dib insisted, hissing the words. "I made up that story to keep her safe."

"Now son, that's just ridiculous. Really, where do you come up with these ideas of yours?"

He knew everything.

"Those marks." Dib insisted, his eyes narrowing at his father. "On her back; They're from her PAK. The Tallest hid it inside of her, so it wouldn't blow her cover."

Dr. Membrane's brow rose. "Are you sure she just wasn't tortured?"

And he'd lied about it.

"You knew already," Dib accused, getting to his feet and walking around the table. His father got to his feet, his face completely blank, even as Dib pointed an accusing finger at him. "You've been lying to me this whole time!"

"Now, Dib-." Dr. Membrane insisted calmly, holding up his hands in what was supposed to be a soothing manner.

It didn't work.

"You _knew_ what Tak was!" Dib continued, furiously. "Did she tell you? Why didn't you tell anyone else, Dad?"

"Why didn't you?" Dr. Membrane retorted calmly, gripping Dib's shoulders. "Son, please, I can explain."

Dib recoiled, shoving his father away from him. "Then start talking, Dad! Tell me what you know about Tak _right now_!"

Dr. Membrane seemed about to say something when something caught his eyes (or so Dib guessed) and he looked past Dib, towards the doorway. Dib turned as well.

Tak stood in the doorway, her face stern. Her hand went to MiMi on her shoulder.

"Tak," Dib said, breathing heavily from the shouting as his body calmed. "What's going-?"

"It's," She glanced to his father, unmistakable hatred in her eyes. "Not for me to say, Dib."

"So it's true, then," Dib looked between both of them, darkly. "You both lied to me. When you said you didn't know each other, you lied."

"I made her do it," Dr. Membrane insisted. "I wanted to tell you myself."

Tak wanted to snort. So he really was keeping his promise about damning himself to make her look like an angel.

_Anything for friendship_, she thought bitterly.

Dib's eyes shot between them, wide and nervous. "I'm not about to hear Tak's my mother or something, am I?"*

This time Tak _did_ snort; in disgust and amusement. "_As if_, Dib! Don't be ridiculous."

"Well then what the hell is going on?" Dib demanded, looking at his father expectantly. When he didn't say anything, Dib's eyes narrowed. "You have ten seconds to explain before I walk out that door and never speak to you again, Dad."

Tak's brow rose as she looked to MiMi, speaking too quietly for either of them to hear. "_That's a threat?_"

MiMi just shrugged.

"I should go," She said, loud enough for them to hear, turning to leave. "You should learn through your father, not me, since this _is_ his fault and all."

And thus, with a last unhelpful remark, she turned and left, shutting the door behind her.

Dib turned back to Dr. Membrane. "Explain.

His father sighed.

* * *

**_3 Months Ago_**

* * *

"_They found her in an ally, passed out on my property. They called me, because I'm a genius, well renound in identifying those when there's no hope and they also thought I'd like to know who was hanging around my lab, just in case."_

Two scientists pushed the stretched in.

On it, a girl thrashed violently, cursing everyone in an unidentifiable language.

"_They thought she might be some kind of terrorist or foreign spy. They ran her fingerprints and found nothing, no trace of her existence anywhere. Nobody recognized her uniform. No one knew who she was or where she came from. I was fascinated by the challenge and accepted her as my property._"

"Let **_GO OF ME_!**" She demanded, twisting, aggravating her wounds and creating more. "**MIMI!**"

"_She had an accent no ne could place. It might've been Russian, but no one could be sure. Another bit to the mystery._"

In an indestructible cage created by Membrane himself, a cat slammed against the walls, making the scientist question just how 'indestructible' it was. With each hit it threatened to tear free and kill them all, but so far, it was still bound.

"_She refused to give us a name. She refused to tell us where she was from. She refused to cooperate in any form, forcing us to bind her to prevent her from hurting herself or anyone else. I watched her be wheeled in and immediately believed the horror stories I'd already heard about this girl who we'd only had in our custody for a few hours. Twice, my doctors informed me, she had tried to kill herself with anything she could get her hands on. She was badly injured both times and had to be given emergency care to save her life. Quite the little viper, or so I'd heard._"

Dr. Membrane went down, syringe in hand, ready to deliver anesthesia, should it prove necessary.

He cleared his throat. "I'm-."

She spat on him, growling and hissing at him in that unknown language of hers again. Dr. Membrane was handed a towel and he wiped it off, handing it back to the man before turning to her again.

"As I was saying," he continued, as if nothing had happened. "My name is Dr. Membrane."

She just glared at him, long hair completely disheveled from the struggling.

"_She was a bloody, bruised, possibly beaten mess, as she wouldn't hold still long enough for my doctors to properly clean her. But I was informed she'd looked like hell from the start, which was why we thought she was attacked and weren't treating her hostilely._"

"What's your name?"

"Shove it up your ass, ignorant human filth!" She shrieked, trying to kick out at him and failing to do so, thanks to the bonds.

"_No one heard her wording, or noticed. They were too busy trying to keep her under control. But I told them to leave, just in case they started paying attention. I am, after all, perfectly fit. I could easily contain what two men could not._"

They left, leaving the two of them in the room alone.

He spoke warningly and she began to struggle more, glaring defiantly all the while. "I'm a world renown scientist with enough money and power to make you disappear or use unjust methods without consequence. This would be much easier on both of us if you'd cooperate."

"I don't care who you are!" She hissed, unmistakable loathing and violence in her eyes. "Nothing you do is going to make me submit! I'd rather die then continue being here any longer and to be perfectly honest, _Dr. Membrane_, I intend to. You're wasting your time! You've got no right to keep me here! Now let me go!"

Dr. Membrane lowered his voice. "Right now, I'm the only one whose realized you aren't human."

She froze, opening her eyes (that had closed with frustration as she fought her restraints) and slowly locking eyes with him. They still held fury, but terror was written all across her face.

"So if you wish for it to stay that way, I _suggest_ you cooperate and tell me what I want to know."

Her lip curled back, snorting disdainfully at him. "You said Dr. Membrane, right? You don't believe in aliens. Your son told me so."

At once his eyes narrowed, hands curling into fists. "How do you know my son?"

She sneered at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"What's your name?"

"Tak," She said, pridefully. "What do you want with me?"

"I would prefer if you weren't on my planet."

"You and me both," She muttered, glaring at her lap. Then she turned towards the cage. "MiMi, desist."

At once, her companion stopped, but it never relaxed, growling and hissing at Dr. Membrane and glaring through narrowed eyes.

His brow rose at her answer. "Will you tell me why you're here?"

She hissed, glaring down at her lap. "Do I have a choice?"

"_She told me about what the Tallest did to her, in confidence. We made a deal; she'd tell me what I wanted to know about her past only and I wouldn't reveal what she was or hand her over to organizations like the Swollen Eyeball._"

"_And the scars on her back? Are those your fault too?_"

"_Yes. A few days after her arrival and a few suicide  
attempts later, I proposed an idea to her._"

"If I can get into your PAK," Dr. Membrane informed her, quietly, despite the fact there was no one in the room and he'd disabled all the security. Should she kill him, somehow, and escape no one would know until she was out in the open. "I can deactivate your memories. I can convince you that you're entirely human."

Tak snorted, on her side, incredibly weak. Once the initial adrenaline had worn off she'd felt the fully impact of her wounds. She was paying for it in energy and soreness now. "Stupid human. A PAK is like your primitive life-support. You touch it, you could kill me."

"Isn't that what you want?"

She sat up, despite the strain it put on her, a brow raising. "You would kill me?"

"I want you off my planet. You wish you were dead." Dr. Membrane said, casually. "It's the legal, easy way out."

"_You tricked her._"

"_Yes._"

Tak's eyes narrowed. "And what about MiMi?"

"You have my word she'll be destroyed. We won't touch her."

"_So the marks?_"

"_Were mine. Her race is extremely advanced. There was nothing on her back before I operated._"

"_I performed the procedure, alone, in secret. I nearly lost her, several times, but I managed to figure out how to implant my bug without killing her. When she woke up, I diagnosed her with PTSD. I told her nothing and so she knew nothing. I knew the chance of recall was slim, even with her cat around._"

"_So me finding her?_"

"_A freak accident. Something I never anticipated._"

"_She asked you to kill her. It would've made your life a whole lot simpler. Why didn't you?_"

"_. . ._"

"_Dad?_"

"_Because she said she knew you._"

* * *

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

"A monster?" Gaz questioned, brow rising with intrigue. "I'm fighting a monster?"

"Yes. Put this on." Zim ordered, helping her into the vest. It was like a black steel, but flexible and light. It wouldn't prevent a full-on attack but it would prevent scratches. Not much, but it was something.

She snorted as he secured it in the back. "Not particularly creative."

"Irkens never are when it comes to entertainment," He stated bluntly. "Put the sleeves on while I do this."

Gaz reached down, grabbing the metal sleeves that looked similar to the ones on Zim's invader uniform, except gray. She was glad she'd worn a sleeveless shirt. "What kind of monster?"

"It's one used in events like this. It looks like a bull, except the size of an elephant. I don't know what color it will be though, it varies."

"So, I'm basically bull-fighting?"

"Correct." He agreed. He gripped the ends of the sleeves that she'd managed to get up to her forearms, pulling them the rest of the way up and connecting them to her vest. When it was properly fastened he turned her, hands on his shoulder as he locked eyes with her in a serious gaze. "This isn't a game, Gaz. It doesn't happen a lot, but Irkens get injured and, though rare, killed in these types of games. Promise me you'll be careful."

Gaz smirked, stepping up on her toes to kiss him. She could feel his apprehension in the kiss, like he wanted it to be tender but was too tense to do so. It annoyed her. She opened her mouth, moaning into his. It got a reaction out of him. Not as enthusiastic as she would have liked, but his tongue was soon entangling hers in its normal grasp, with a slightly irritated and affectionate hiss. Gaz was surprised at just how tense Zim was. Normally he was glad to change the subject with a kiss, but it seemed this time he was just a bit too wrapped up in worry.

She pulled away with a smirk, removing her necklace, surprise at how easily the metal moved. "I'll be fine, Zim. And careful."

"Good," He gave her a quick kiss before smirking back at her. "I will be rooting for your success."

Gaz looked towards the doors. "It's an arena kind of, isn't it."

"Yes, but try to ignore the cheering." Zim said, squeezing her shoulders. "I have to go. But if anything happens, I'll be right up where the Tallest are and have permission to intervene or stop the fight at any time."

"Psh," she slipped from his grasp with an arrogant, teasing shrug. "This is the only reason I agreed to come here. You really think I'm willing to lose?"

Zim laughed at her, "I would be careful if I were you. Someone once told me pride is the easiest way to fall."

Gaz rolled her eyes, "Just go sit and watch how it's done."

He bowed out, amusement and slight fear for her in his eyes. Gaz waited until he slipped through the door to go stand by the entrance to the stadium. She'd been instructed to wait until the doors opened before going out.

She was aware of the layout; the doors would open on a platform, about ten feet above the ground, an easy enough jump. She'd wait until the gates for the goat/elephant/bukk-thing or whatever was released, giving her a view of her opponent, the last opportunity to back out. Once she descended it would be an exception of the challenge and the match would go until the beast was killed (or, if Zim deemed it necessary, the match was stopped).

This fight would be public. According to Zim and the Tallest, the match was sold out and would be played live everywhere there was a transmitter. Irkens absolutely loved battles, especially when other species were involved. And a different-species mate hadn't been taken up by an Irken in a while. Needless to say, another battle like this probably wouldn't happen for another decade or so. After _tomorrows_ fight anyways, which was also already sold out.

Gaz heard the speakers through the door, but hardly paid attention to what they were saying, holding her necklace tightly in her hands. She hadn't morphed it yet. She was going to wait until she saw what she was dealing with before choosing a weapon.

The door lifted slowly and immediately cheers bombarded her hearing. She flinched, grimacing at the intense noise, but the door had only lifted to her waist and so it went unseen. When it was fully opened she stepped out, completely focused on the task she was about to do. Gaz refused to embarrass herself in front of all these people by losing this fight. Her eyes narrowed on the gates, fingers curling tighter around her necklace with anticipation.

"**AND NOW**!" Whatever announcer shouted. "**THE CHALLENGING CREATURE, THE SLONGOPLAX**!"

"Who the hell comes up with names like the Slongoplax?" Gaz muttered, brow rising in disbelief.*

The ginormous gate below opened. Two piercing red eyes appeared from the dark before a roar bellowed out, making the watching crowd cheer with excitement while the more spineless shivered a bit. Gaz didn't even flinch as she waited.

Zim was right in saying it was about the size of an elephant, large to humans, ginormous to small Irkens. This one was purple and unlike a bull, its horns twisted in a strange way and there were patterns running across its sides. She wondered if that was just its fur color (assuming it was fur) or a type of Irken brand but either way, it was there, all in black. But she noted it was chained, held back to only be able to reveal itself and go no further.

Gaz brought both hands to the necklace, breaking it in two. It began morphing and she held her hands out while she waited for the change to complete. Eventually she had two small swords in her hands. One might call them daggers, but they were too big and so were not. Then approaching the edge she jumped easily, landing in a crouching position on the sand-colored dirt floor fo the arena. The surrounding Irkens shouted their approval.

"**MATCH ACCEPTED.**"

The creature took note of her as she got to her feet, not moving any closer. It let out a noise, another roar, straining on the chains.

Zim was indeed sitting with the Tallest, in a booth with the perfect view. Guards stood on either side of the entrances, dutifully, but also watching the fight from the corner of their eyes.

"Woo!" Purple had popcorn which he was shoveling into his mouth, a soda in the other hand. "Man, this is gonna be awesome!"

"Zim," Red insisted, to the littler sitting to his left. Red, too, had snacks, but he wasn't eating them quite as sloppily as Purple was. "Are you sure you want to let her do this?"

Zim was the only one who didn't look excited. His face was dark, unreadable, solemn. He looked down at Gaz and while no one else might see it, even with the close-up the cameras were getting on her face that seemed bored to everyone else, he could tell just how truly she wanted to do this. How excited she was about finally doing something she considered worth her while. Gaz had been pretty stationary (besides their intimate times) for a while. Normally, before all of this taking over the world business got started, Gaz got herself into a fight at least once a week. But she hadn't _really_ done anything in a little over a month. She was probably incredibly bored. Zim would have to see to that when they returned. He'd probably end up letting her train a few segmented members of the army.

But to answer Red, he replied, with an indifferent shrug, "It's what she wants. I have to let her have her fun every once in a while."

His leader smirked and nudged him with his elbow. "I gotta admit, Zim. Never would've thought you'd find a mate, let alone like this one."

"Neither did I," Zim said to himself, too quiet for Red to hear (and he wasn't paying attention anymore anyways).

"**LET THE BATTLE BEGIN IN!**"

Zim's hands curled into fists, gripping the chair with nerves.

And of course the crowd had to help with the count down.

"**3!**"

Gaz tensed as the bull let out another frustrated roar, pulling tighter on the chains that held him back.

"**2!**"

Zim's eyes narrowed, focusing entirely on Gaz (as if he wasn't already).

"**1!**"

A smirk broke out on Gaz's face.

"**FIGHT!**"

The roar of the crowd nearly drowned out the roar of the beast. The chains retracted and the creature went charging at her, shouting its anger and fully prepared to take out his frustration on her.

Gaz did not move, halfway facing the beast.

Zim's eyes widened as it got closer and she still did not move. "Gaz!"

Obviously, she had no hope of hearing him. But as if she did, she chose that moment to side-step the beast, as if this w_as_ a bull-fighting match. It didn't have time to change directions either as suddenly Gaz was engulfed in her own flames, burning the creature's side as if rushed past her. It howled with pain and anger and the cheers got louder, every Irken on the planet on the edge of their seats.

Zim let out a breath of relief, sitting back down in his chair, not realizing he'd gotten up to grip the railing.

Purple laughed at him. "Nervous, Zim?"

He smiled weakly, "Heh, just a bit, My Tallest."

"No Irken is fond of their mate going out into battle when they're from another species," Red informed him in what Zim assumed was supposed to be a comforting manner. "Relax, Zim! Just sit back and watch the show!"

Zim sat back, putting on a facade of relaxation, all the while wringing his hands in fear.

Gaz, on the other hand, was having a blast.

Of course, she was still fully focused, keeping her promise to Zim about being careful. If she got hurt she'd never hear the end of his guilty apologies and since she did _not_, under any circumstances, want to hear it, she was going to keep herself from harm. It would be easy enough with how temperamental this thing was. It had no control over itself, it was just blind with rage.

"Too easy," She muttered, but decided against chancing it.

Gaz put her fire out, stepping to face the thing again. It snarled at her, still sizzling from the burn that left no mark. She really _did_ have to ask Zim about that but obviously, now was not the time.

It was wary as it got up, but it wanted revenge. She could see it in it's eyes, beadly little red things glaring at her. Gaz just remained stationary, waiting for it to attack.

Which it did.

The snorgle-whatever ran forward, it's entire weight ready to slam into her petite. Gaz did the same thing as before except this time, she dropped to the floor, on her back, making Zim nearly have a heart attack (if he had a heart). But she remained calm, putting up the swords and digging them into the things belly as it ran past her, once again unable to stop. She moved before it could attempt to trample her, rolling away quickly, onto her hands and knees as it let out a scream of pain.

Her brow rose, surprised to find the color of its blood was red. She'd expected purple or something.

Eh . . . oh well.

It stumbled, looking down at its wounds.

Big mistake.

Immediately, Gaz's sword was aflame as she raced towards the things at her maximum speed. Its head snapped up just as she jumped over it, landing on its back and stabbing into wher she assumed its spine was. It let out another howl, trying to buck her off but she had already withdrawn her weapon and leaped away, eying it carefully to see the damage.

She couldn't be sure of the anatomy, but it seemed she'd hit _something_ painful. It was storming around, moving too much for her to try another attack. She had to wait until it calmed down. It charged at her, clumsily, but quickly. Rather then risk another hit Gaz jumped out of the way. However, the side of its horn clipped her leg, throwing her off balance as it skidded to a halt. Gaz landed on her hands and knees, grunting at the clumsy landing and jumping away just as the thing once again regained its footing as well. Before it could get the upper hand however Gaz threw her hand back and set it aflame (a task much easier then setting her whole body aflame) and shot a ball of fire directly into its eyes before backing up, giving the thing (and herself) space.

It began slamming its hooves on the ground, rocking the floor of the arena and sending shudders throughout the building. The crowd only cheered louder.

Gaz stood slowly, careful not to lose her footing in the unsteady ground. Up in the stands Zim could tell how badly she wanted to kill the thing not just to prove herself now, but for revenge for making her fall, even if it seemed she hadn't been hurt. Although that 'if' was making him squirm as he hoped she was alright and just miffed.

A roar erupted as the flames seared the creatures eyeballs, feet slamming harder on the ground. Gaz growled. Alright, now this was just getting stupid!

Deciding to take a chance with her aiming accuracy she launched one of her swords forward, directly towards where she figured its heart might be. It hit home and the beast wailed, gurgling. Blood (besides the little trickles from the belly-wound) began to spurt from the knife in it's chest as it heaved, seeming to try and steady itself for another charge. Gaz relaxed at its manners but only slightly. One was always surprised when it came to the will-power of the dying, especially with animals (assuming this thing was an animal . . . stupid alien creatures).

And as she had guessed it might, it began to set up for one last attempt to kill her; a death charge.

Zim's nerves were completely shot. It took all of his efforts to remain composed, so the Tallest wouldn't think him a buzz kill as they cheered enthusiastically beside him. The beast was going to lose, that much was clear. The only unsure outcome of the match was whether or not it would take Gaz (or some part of her) with it.

Gaz burst her body into flames in an attempt to intimidate the animal, make it submit, now that she only had one sword in hand. It recoiled, but was poised, preparing itself to launch at her. Gaz's eyes narrowed, aware that it wasn't going to back down.

Fine. Then neither was she.

It charged.

She didn't move.

People were cheering, drowning out any hope of hearing a single shout. Gaz's hands lifted up, holding the sword straight up in the air, keeping careful aim, completely focused.

This would need perfect timing.

"What's she doing?" Purple asked, a brow rising.

Red's shrugged and glanced at Zim, who seemed paralyzed. "Zim?"

An explosion erupted the building as beast met fire. Gaz was completely out of view, engulfed by her own flames. The crowd cheering was now shouting in surprise. There was silence.

Then more cheering as the smoke cleared away.

Zim's eyes widened as he jumped to his feet, for the second time. "GAZ!"

* * *

*Because I just felt like someone would assume something stupid like that.

AHAHAHHA, EVIL CLIFF-HANGER!

Oh, you all know that you love me, don't deny it.

I keep you in suspense. Otherwise, why would you be so interested in this story?

**"What's the point of this game?"  
"To have the LEAST debt by the end of the game (because it's nearly impossible to NOT have debt) and to have the most teeth."  
"You're kidding me, right?"  
"Psh, NO!"  
-Redneck Life. Best. Board Game. EVER.**

Till the next chapter!


	32. Bruises and Bitemarks

xoAmaxi

Chapter 31

EVIL CLIFFHANGER IS EVIL.  
I REALLY love this chapter.  
It's so action-packed, and it's cute that Zim is so concerned about Gaz.  
All the while she's enjoying every second of these fights.  
It's truly good to see Gaz beating the heck out of.. stuff.. again.  
But something tells me, at some point, something really big and bad is going to happen o.o  
.. You know, I may have said this before, but I have to say it again; I have absolutely NO IDEA how this story is going to end. Seriously. The goodness is so amazing that I don't want it to end D:  
- Amaxiiii, eagerly waiting for chapter 32!

**So many of you bitched (I used that word affectionately) at my unnecessary cliff-hanger.**

**BUT IT WAS TOTALLY NECESSARY. MY STORY HASN'T HAD ONE IN A WHILE, I NEEDED YOU ALL TO SQUIRM, LIKE I ALWAYS DO! D:**

**Hahaha, you know you guys love me.**

**And, if you can believe it, I was not looking forward to writing that part, with the fight and how Zim and Gaz were reacting to it and what not. I was putting it off as long as possible, so I'm glad you liked it. ^_^**

**Honestly, I wasn't quite sure how this was going to end either. But now I do, obviously. XD**

ShugoCharaLovey

Chapter 5

at first i was like . . . who in heavens name is 'skoodge'? then it hit me. . the fat one XD

**Ahahahaha! I did that too, when I started looking up ZAGR stories. I was like . . . Skoodge . . . Skoodge . . . OH YEAH! THAT ONE THAT GOT SHOT OUT OF A CANNON, RIGHT!**

**I like your "the fat one" comment better.**

Torrasque666

Chapter 31

Me-sa love cliffhangas. They add a nice...how you say...epicness...to a story. And I have to admit, I also check this story regularly. Except its more of a daily thing than hourly. I only do that when I'm in the middle of a group Roleplay and its almost done. Which by the way, we did finish one. I'll probably have it up in 2 weeks. Gotta break it down and make it flow a bit better first. And thanks for your critique of my writing sample.

**Oh joy, SOMEONE appreciates my suspense. :D**

**Hehe, story-obsession. Been there, done that, am still doing it. Glad I've got such loyal readers. ^_^**

**Of course, always happy to help with the critiqueing, even if I am not particularly good at it.**

Invader Johnny

Chapter 31

Heh, I knew Gaz was gong to fight some alien animal.  
After all Irkens have a liking to sadistic games much like the Romans did centuries ago as proved a deleted scene from "The Nightmar Bgins" where Zim had to fight a Digestor in order to gain the honor of getting a planet to invade.  
Although I was HOPING for the Digestor to be Gaz's victim the Slongoplax was certanly a show I WISHED that got animated.  
I loved Gaz's cruelty to alien animals LOL.  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**sadfkjafdgkjafgkad DELETED SCENE? What, I didn't . . . !**

**GAH! Every time I talk to my sister, I feel like an Invader Zim fan of the year, but every time you review and tell me something, I feel so uninformed! I am going to steal your knowledge one of these days, I swear! Now I'm going to go look this up on the internet you sly little dog you! Meh!**

**. . . Digestor . . . grumble grumble . . .**

**In no ways am I mad at you though. You, sir, are just keeping me on my toes, of which I appreciate greatly. Especially since your brain comes in handy to my learning about Invader Zim.**

**So thanks!**

TimIsaFunSucker

Chapter 31

A cliffhanger? Oh you retched thing, you! I love you and hate you at the same time right now! I just wanted to let you know that this series is by far my favorite collection of ZaGr stories EVER!

**Ahahaha, love/hate. I just have that type of effect on people. (win)**

**Well gee, I am flattered! You gets a cookie! (throws delicious treat at you)**

**QUICKLY, EAT IT!**

ForceWalker

Chapter 31

NO! NOT THE EVIL CLIFFHANGER! WHY MUST YOU TORTURE US WITH THE EVIL CLIFFHANGER! WHY?  
...But seriously, we all know Gaz survives. I mean, it would kill the story if she's dead at this point.  
And finally Dib learns the truth. And man, it's hard not to ahte Dr. Membrane after knowing what he's put both Tak and Dib through! But what does this mean for the two of them now?

**Because I can. :D**

**And oh, Tak and Dib's reactions? Priceless.**

Potatoes4Eva

**While you didn't review, I wanted to let you know: Go on utube /watchv=ZkdHMpTFB6o&list=PL8DB7E33B710B87EB&index=1&feature=plpp**

**That's my video, but it ain't done yet.**

cheddarbiscuit

**And since you harassed me, by FAR, the most about Tak, I have a feeling you are going to adore this chapter.**

See! I pay attention to you all and your personalities!

Another song/title.

But my music is kick-ass, so it's alright. (thumbs up) ;)

I expect you all to be screaming like the little fan-girls you all are (whether you have a dangler or not) by the end of this chapter! MWAHAHAHAHA!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 32  
"Bruises and Bitemarks"**

Zim was ready to jump from the stands.

He only resisted because Gaz would kill him if he did.

The crowd was still on their feet, going insane as Gaz's lithe form, on her back, sat up and shook her hair out. The beast was dead, smoking, blasted a few feet from where it had been. Even if she refused to show it, Zim knew how much that must have taken out of her.

Anything to make an impression.

Zim wasn't sure if he should scream at her or just be relieved she was still alive.

Red laughed, nudging Zim again. "Anxious, Zim?"

Gaz got up slowly, walking over to the monster and retrieving her weapon from it's chest with a jerk backwards. She connected the hilts, letting them return to their original small, disguised shape. She draped it around her neck, turning towards the door and ignoring the excited crowd of violent Irkens around her. Zim was immediately hurrying out of the arena, to get downstairs, to the back, where Gaz would be taken. The Tallest laughed at him as he darted off but made no move to stop him or say anything to tease him.

They knew better then to tease an Irken about their mate.

Downstairs, a few rather congratulatory Irkens lead her into her own back room, like a dressing room, except for fighters. The next match would be some famous person or another but honestly, she really did not care. That fight had taken about half an hour. The incessant, excited babbling of her guide made her want to hit them but she resisted, too tired. They showed her the room, still talking until she slammed the door on their face and they stopped, stunned, before eventually walking away.

As soon as their footsteps faded away, Gaz began swearing, clutching her side and leaning against the wall a minute. She made her way over to a couch-like piece of furniture, sitting down on it and taking deep, silent breaths. Her body was sore now that she'd burned off all of her adrenaline. The ankle the splonrg-thing or whatever had nicked, tripping her, was especially sore, as were her hands. Gaz hadn't felt so bad since that period during the LEECHY incident, after Zim had (reluctantly) saved her from getting mugged.

Except now she felt about ten times worse.

Her wrists, too, hurt from the fall, as did her side, which was what she had _actually_ landed after the blast. Shortly before the smoke cleared away she'd rolled onto her back, to ease the pressure off that side. No doubt she would have bruises in the morning. But aside from injuries, she was covered in filth. She had blood (that was not hers) on her palms and clothes, from being under the beast. The dirt (or whatever it was) from the floor of the arena, mixed with the blood, was stuck to her in different patches on both her clothes and skin.

All in all, she was not the most attractive of sights at the moment.

"At least there aren't any scratches," she muttered, trying to figure out how to get the armor off of her without hurting herself.

A knock on the door made her want to bang her head against the wall.

"Gaz?" Zim called anxiously through the door.

She sighed. It was either now or never. And at least he would be useful, even if he was going to be obnoxious about how she looked.

"Come in, Zim," Gaz called back, reluctantly, still trying to get the damn vest-like object off.

The door opened and she ignored his silent staring until it had gone on for a minute or so, looking up and locking eyes with him, irritated. Then he was next to her, picking her up smoothly, almost painlessly (which was quite impressive, since everything hurt, really) and walking down the hallway with her. No one occupied the halls, as the next fight had already begun.

Both of them remained silent as he carried her all the way to the elevator, holding her silently while they rode up to the floor with their room and even when they got inside. He simply set her down on the bed, examining her speculatively from the opposite side of the room, eyes flicking across her form.

"You can either stand there or help me get this damned thing off," She hissed, gesturing to the armor.

At once he snapped out of it and was by her side, sitting next to her. She turned away from him so that he could remove the straps for her, which Zim did quickly and smoothly. He winced when she hissed as he helped her slide it off of herself, since it was clear Gaz was incapable of doing so herself.

Zim scowled shortly after, "I should've never let you do this."

_And so it begins_, Gaz thought darkly.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "I'm just sore, Zim. No cuts, just sore and tired."

"Do not pretend you are fine for Zim's sake!" He hissed, making her look down at her lap. His hands went to the sleeves, taking especial care with her, despite his obvious irritation. "You are injured, and it is my fault for not intervening!"

"If it's anyone's, it's mine for showing off!" Gaz snapped back. "If you'd have intervened, I would have killed you. You _know_ that."

"I'd rather be dead then have you hurt like you are."

"It's just the grime, look," Gaz wiped the blood from her hands on her pants, ignoring Zim's grimace. "The blood isn't even _mine_. And the dirt comes off. I just need to bathe is all, really."

Zim made a face at her. Then he picked her up again, taking her into the bathroom.

"You'll find it's not water but it'll work," He insisted, setting her down on the toilet (which, thankfully, had the lid down) while he turned on the tub, removing his gloves. "It filters automatically, so you won't have to take a shower."

Gaz began slowly removing her clothes. For once, it wasn't a tease-thing; she was just honestly that sore. "Fine with me."

Zim ran his hands under the water, calculating the temperature on his PAK and comparing it to the ideal human preference temperature. After a few seconds it reached what he wanted and he paused the changer, letting the perfectly heated water fill up the tub. He glanced behind him, since his task was done, to see Gaz had yet to get her shirt off.

He sighed. For someone insisting she was fine, Gaz was doing an awful lot to prove otherwise.

Gaz's eyes snapped up at him as his hands went to her shirt, removing it for her, still gentle but efficient.

"It seems I'll be helping you," Zim said, indifferently, though disapprovingly. Gaz had a feeling it was just because she needed the help, not that he really just did not want to assist her. "Attempt to protest and I will ignore you."

Gaz decided just not to say anything. Zim stood her up, supporting most of her weight as he helped her strip. Gaz felt completely useless and it was irritating. She should be able to undress herself but the fact was that she couldn't because she was a show-off and in the end, it had cost her.

Zim picked her up again, lowering her into the water. He removed the armor of his own invader uniform, as well as the sleeves, revealing the black, sleeveless shirt underneath.

"Here," He reached up, handing her the bar of soap-substitute. "Your cleansing chalk. Unless you need my help for that as well."

Zim was being surprisingly uncondescending. He was truly just asking her where she needed help and what she could do on her own. Gaz refused to let him help her clean herself though and shook her head, rubbing the initial grime off of her body. Zim was right, the dirt, rather then just sit in the tub, leaked out into the drain. None of the water left though; it really _was_ like a filter.

He sat next to her, by the tub, looking up at her face. "Truly, Gaz; how injured are you?"

Gaz dunked her head, coming back up and running her hands through her hair, to get the dirt out. It worked relatively well. "We'll have to see when all of the crud is gone. Although I'm pretty sure there aren't any cuts. Just a few particularly tender areas."

Zim groaned and rested his head against the side of the tub, burying his head in his arms. "Zim is a bad mate."

"Shut up before I splash you," Gaz insisted, rolling her shoulders. The hot water really was working wonders on her muscles. But it was a little too good. "Is there something in this non/water?"

"I'm surprised you noticed," Zim admitted dully, looking up at her, resting his chin on his arms. "I added in a sort of gel, to help your body relax. You'll still be sore, you just won't be quite so stiff."

"Oh," Gaz replied, continuing to bathe herself.

Zim smirked at her lack of gratitude, turning his attention back to the bruises already forming in multiple places on her skin. As the water relieved her stiff joints, Gaz was soon able to reach all of her body without pain and was, slowly, able to clean herself. By the time she was done, her eyelids were beginning to droop from exhaustion.

At once, Zim pulled the plug in the tub, releasing the non/water and wrapping a towel-like object around Gaz, lifting her up in his arms. Gaz was already half-asleep when he placed her, with still nothing but the towel around her, into their bed, having no doubt she would sleep well tonight. Zim crawled into bed beside her, holding her tightly against him, kissing her on her head.

"Sleep well, my little Gaz." He breathed in her ear, carefully keeping the worry from his voice.

A few seconds later she was asleep.

* * *

They were about as close to "outside" as one could be underground.

Tak sat, legs crossed in front of her with her hands on her knees, looking at the television screen in front of them. MiMi lay curled up on her lap, alert as always but mostly relaxed. The TV was playing live feed of the chaos going on up above, with Zim in charge. Honestly, Tak had expected more, but it was enough.

"Well . . . this is definitely not what I expected."

She glanced over her shoulder to see Dib, leaning against the door-frame in a rather brooding manner.

Tak shrugged, looking back to the screen. "Never underestimate the insanity of a situation."

"Guess I'll remember that for next time," He muttered, sitting down next to her. He paused before saying, "So, that's why you hate him, huh? You would really rather be dead then a human, if only partially?"

It took a moment but eventually she nodded, slowly. "At the time, yes."

"Tak, I gotta ask," Dib insisted, half-apologetic. "Why _did_ you come looking for the three of us when you came to Earth?"

She became very still. But looking at MiMi and noting her lack of agitation, Dib could tell she wasn't angry. If anything, she was probably just caught off guard.

Then Tak looked down at her lap. "Because . . . I did not know . . . what else to do."

"And Zim? What do you want with him?"

She sighed, looking up at the screen again. "I thought . . . maybe he could figure out how to change me back, if I made him, since he has the technology and I do not."

Dib nodded slowly, running his hands through his hair. "I figured as much . . . Wait, 'thought'? You don't think so anymore?"

"I've been thinking about it," she replied, quietly. A bit too quietly for Tak. "Even if Zim is smarter and taller, he never studied to be a technician. I did background on him, before I came to Earth to hunt him down. Whatever procedure he attempted would only end in failure. Zim is a designer, not someone who should actually be handling machinery. A PAK is an especially delicate, sensitive piece of equipment. When I first arrived I was adjusting the these emotions. I panicked and all I could think about was returning back, by any means possible. I never thought it through and when I came to, with you there, it seemed more likely. I refused to admit my plans inevitable failure, out of pride. I . . . I am sensible enough to realize that now."

During her speech, Dib had hugged his knees to his chest, thinking. His world really sucked right now. First Gaz, now Dad. Tak seemed to be the only one being honest with him, even if she hated every moment of it. And _she_ was the one who said that she considered them friends, not Dib.

It seemed like Tak was the only (bluntly) truthful thing Dib had left.

He turned to her, "Hey Tak?"

"Mm?" She looked back at him.

Dib offered her a weak but sincere smile. "Thanks. For telling me the truth; no matter what it was."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She blinked profusely before nodding, awkwardly, averting her eyes rather quickly. "Eh, sure. Of course."

Dib's smile grew a little confidence and amusement. "Was that a weird thing to say?"

"Yes. A bit," She replied, nodding, her mouth turned down in a slight frown. "So . . . What are you going to do about your father?"

He sighed, "He's my dad, Tak. I'm not gonna refuse to talk to him, I'm just mad at him for keeping this from me. For taking away someone's chances and breaking promises to multiple people."

Tak's brow rose. "You're mad at him because of what he did to me? Why?"

Dib snorted at her, still smiling. "We're friends. Friends are _supposed_ to defend each other, especially with their parents. It's just code."

"Code?" She shared a look of confusion with MiMi. "What code? I've never heard of a code."

"You've never heard of the Silent Friends Code?" Dib's brow rose in disbelief. "Some invader _you_ are, Tak."

"I was on this pitiful excuse for a planet for a single day!" Tak snapped back, hissing at him. "And I still managed to blend in perfectly with your culture. Just because I didn't know a few details doesn't mean anything! I managed to learn in less then 24 hours what took you 12 years to figure out!"

As he laughed at her, Tak began to get more irritated. However, MiMi simply hopped off her master's lap, curling up away from the quarreling beings (as there is no other category that fits them both) and ignoring them, completely unconcerned.

"Well I just think it's funny the all-knowing Tak doesn't know about something as simple as the rules of friendship," Dib retorted, smugly, folding his arms behind his head leaning back against the couch that neither of them were sitting on. He had found it strange Tak was sitting on the floor instead but it was no real concern of his.

She glowered at him, speaking sarcastically. "So then why don't you teach me 'all-knowing Dib'?"

"I don't know if I want to," He retorted casually, basking in the moment.

Tak snorted at him and picked up the remote, changing the channel. "Fine. I'd rather watch TV anyways."

At once a romance drama came on.

"Ew," The both said in unison. With a face contorted in slight disgust, Tak moved on.

"Your culture is so disgusting," She commented, scowling. "No one wishes to see another couple's shows of affections. It's gross!"

Dib's brow rose, looking at her. "You've kissed someone before?"

"I never mated," Tak retorted at once. "But just because I've never done it doesn't mean I can't be disusted by it."

"I thought you preferred experience over second-hand information." Dib questioned, intrigued now.

She snorted. "I'm willing to make an exception in this case."

Dib laughed at her attitude. "You've got the opinion of a little kid."

"Well then clearly you lose your brain cells with age!" Tak snapped back, irritated at being badgered in such a way. She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in a stern manner. "Affection was never an interest of mine. A few Invaders attempted to court me, before I was sent to Planet Dirt of course, but none of them were quite persuasive _or_ impressive enough."

Dib grinned at her. "High standards?"

"Incredibly," She agreed, smugly, shooting him a look of amusement. Then she sighed, looking back through her channel flipping. "Although, I suppose they've been lowered considerably, considering I am no longer Irken."

"You'd have to have the best of Earth," Dib agreed, still teasing her. "If you were to continue to be so snobby."

"I prefer 'prideful'," Tak corrected, smirking at him again. "And what about you, Dib? Do you suppose you'll be going after that little Gretchen-girl you abandoned at her cousin's house?"

Dib made a face. "I really doubt it. Gretchen's a bit too . . . _domestic_ for me."

Tak's brow rose, "Domestic?"

Laughing at his own statement, Dib leaned back more, comfortably. "I feel like if we did go out, she would convert me into being some type of imagery. Like I was more of a character to her then her boyfriend."

"So you want the emotional aspect then," Tak ammended, glancing at MiMi, who was still curled up near the door. "Typical."

"Well you just want the bragging rights," Dib insisted back, in disbelief she was harassing him about this. "Mine makes more sense then yours anyways. If you're going to spend your life with someone, you should at least _like_ them."

"I find mutual respect to be enough," she said with a shrug, running her hands through her hair.

Dib snorted. "You will be lonely forever then."

"Oh?" Her brow rose, eying him questioningly. "And why is that?"

He gave her a look. "You don't respect anybody Tak. Well, me, maybe, but you can't stand me."

Tak nodded, "Fair enough. I do respect you, though, Dib, if not just for the fact you and your family are probably the best this scum of a planet has to offer."

"But you would never kiss me," Dib pressed, trying to get his point across.

Her eyes narrowed. "What is it with your race and deciding that a touching of your eating-holes supposedly means something else?" She pointed to the screen, which had once again changed to another romance show, where two actors were conveniently kissing on screen. "Your kind does it all the time for pretend and you don't see _them_ making a big deal out of it."

"Well that's because it's pretend!" He insisted. "They're getting paid to do that!"

Tak's brow rose. "So effectively, all actors who've participated in romance scenes are prostitutes?"

"No!" Dib shouted, shaking his head at her in slight aggravation. "That's . . . different . . . somehow . . . _Anyways_! If it was off-camera, it would mean something. Everyone knows an on-screen kiss doesn't mean anything unless there's chemistry _off_ camera."

Tak glanced at MiMi before looking at Dib, shaking her head. "I really don't see how 'everyone' should know that. Only a small amount of your kind ever end up on television and therefore, no one else would have the experience to know."

Dib sighed, frowning at her. "Must you base everything off of experience?"

She smirked at him. "Only because it bothers you. Really though, have you ever experienced a kiss you had any feelings invested into?"

He looked away.

"What?" Tak demanded, peering closer at him, suspiciously.

Dib fidgeted, "Tak, I've never . . ."

His last words words were a mutter.

She peered closer, confused and irritated. "What? Stop mumbling, Dib, I can't hear what you're saying!"

Dib groaned, burying his face into his hands. Through his knees and though slightly muffled, he shouted out, "I've never kissed a girl!"

Tak continued to give him a look. "And so why are you acting so distraught?"

His head snapped up, "You don't think that's weird?"

"Should I?" Her head tilted to the side. Then she shrugged, uninterested. "Most of the Irken population goes without mating. It's hardly strange to me that you've never kissed a female."*

Dib made a suspicious face at her before shrugging, hugging his knees and resting his chin on them again. "I'm never going to get kissed by a girl."

Tak gave MiMi a look of disbelief. Her cat simply shrugged, turning her back on her master and facing the door.

Rolling her eyes, Tak looked up at the ceiling. "Why is it so important that you do?"

"Humans often think you become a man when you, well . . . become intimate with a female." Dib stated, carefully. He really didn't feel like going into detail with Tak. Even if she wasn't fully human, she was still a girl. While Tak may not have boundaries, Dib sure did.

However, those boundaries shattered when a grip that seemed a bit too harsh for such a slender hand gripped his chin, turning him towards his companion next to him, and her mouth planted on his.

Dib's eyes shot open in surprise and for one of the first times in his life, he _really_ felt what hormones could do. His eyes drifted shut as one of his hands unwrapped from around his legs and one went to her neck, the other remaining limply on his knee. In the corner, MiMi was watching this with a raised brow, but otherwise hardly reacting.

After a few boundary-shattering moments of this, Tak slid away from his grasp, standing in the same fluid motion. Dib was left sitting on the floor, staring dumbstruck at the place her head had just been, his hand still paralyzed in mid-air. With a gesture of her finger, MiMi headed over to her master, flicking Dib lightly with her tail in a subtle attempt to snap him out of his stupor before she jumped on her master's shoulder.

"_There,_" Tak insisted, hissing at him in a way far too rough to just be coming from someone who'd just initiated a kiss. "Now you can quit whining!"

Dib blinked, looking up at Tak with a look of complete shock. He might've just been imagining it, but he was pretty sure Tak flushed crimson. It was very possible with how she gritted her teeth, glaring harder at him.

"If you're going to sit there all day, fine," She snapped, taking a step back and turning away from him, leaving the room. "But I've got things to do!"

The door slammed shut behind her.

Dib's hand dropped, but that was all that changed about him. He continued to stare after her, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Tak had kissed him. _She_ had started it, not Dib!

. . . _**What?**_

_"I find mutual respect to be enough."_

_"I do respect you, though, Dib-."_

_"You'd have to have the best of Earth." _

_"-If not just for the fact you and your family are probably the best this scum of a planet has to offer."_

"Oh, geez," Dib's hands went to his mouth as he shook his head in disbelief. "What did I just get myself into?"

Leaning against the door she had just shut, Tak's hand went to her face as MiMi peered at her master, perched comfortably on her shoulder.

"MiMi," She groaned, looking at her minion, "What did I just do?"

* * *

*So many gay jokes, so inappropriate of times. Originally ". . . or male." was going to be added to that sentence followed by a series of witty remarks but I decided it just was too hard to get back to the original point after that.

Bitemarks is because I like to make fun of kisses and say that other people are eating ("biting") each others faces off. So that was just an example of my immaturity in the title right there.

YES. I FINALLY WENT THERE. Tak and Dib kiss!

Don't you guys just love how unromantic I am with these things? I just feel like this is how things would happen. Sorry if you disagree, but, I am an IZ fanfic writer and therefore cannot afford to be so mushy about this stuff!

Setting up for an eternity that explains itself.

Confusing, no?

GOOD. YOU KNOW I LIKE IT THAT WAY. :D

**Daily Quote:  
"No, it's like, who just decided to be like, 'mm, I'm just going to do what my friends say, even though it could possibly kill me!' Like really!"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Like, who said that was a good idea to just do that? Parents give us shit for that now for whoever jumped off that bridge! Dumbasses."  
"Well what I really want to know is why such a tragic and mildly stupid death became a frequent saying."  
"I know! That's so disrespectful, seriously! Those poor parents!"  
-That saying 'If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it to?' that parents always say when you say your friends are doing it.**

**Whether it's real or not: Echo does not approve.**

Till the next chapter!


	33. Expect the Unexpected

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 32

... Yeaaaaah, about that "Magical Ninja Fight"? Weeeeell, you'll just have to wait and see, I guess. But there will be one. Just for you. I promise. Not in Meta-Morphine, but soon. Very soon.  
The chapters I did not review were good, I really wish you had left the "... or male" and accompanying remarks in, just to see how you would handle it. This is an M-rated fic, so you really should not l limit yourself on anything.  
But what ever.  
Magical Ninja Fight... heh heh heh..

**:D**

**Descriptions, for the win!**

**And I know, I wanted to do it so bad! I just sat there and then was like . . . nah! Because I'm not even sure if Tak _knows_ about homosexuality and if she did, then I would have to explain where she learned it from and blah blah blah blah blah . . . etc. Which was boring and off-topic, which is why I left it out.**

xoAmaxi

Chapter 32

Affection bitching. I like that. :D  
The title of this chapter instantly reminded me of a song of the same name.. It's a bloody good song.  
Call me crazy but, I'm kinda glad Gaz got hurt. DON'T TAKE IT THE WRONG WAY; I'm glad in the sense that it shows she's not invincible. Characters who never get hurt are often difficult to relate to. It's good to be able to sympathise them, it makes them more likable and realistic. I love how Zim is always over-protective of Gaz, hehe. Someone get me a Zim for a partner, the world needs guys like him!  
AND DIB AND TAK FINNALLY KISSED, WOO. And no mushy nonsense, it was mostly emotionless from Tak's perspective. Which is good, it's in-character. It would take ages to bring out a caring side from that crazy gal.  
Marvelous work - update soon! (:

**Yeah, Gaz needed a kind of ass-whooping, in some form of another. I figured this was the perfect opportunity. But, she maintains her badassness by not bitching so damn much (like most people -_-) so it's not _too_ OOC.**

**And Zim is good for _Gaz_. And maybe another few handful of people around the world like her, or similar to her in a few ways. But as heroic as I make him to her, mind you, he hates anyone _besides_ her. I feel like a human-verson of Zim would be as annoying as fuck to be around, unless you were like me and like to challenge the annoying, arrogant kid to things that they cannot do but refuse to back down from because they are just that full of themselves.**

**Oddly enough, I've made a lot of friends that way. (face palm)**

**Thanks for your compliments! I feel especial now! ^_^**

Mistress Moira

Chapter 32

I love you for so many reasons!  
1. Good with Grenades is flippin' awesome and I listen to their song Bruises and Bitemarks EVERY day!  
2. Your daily quotes are the best and make me WISH i had friends like you  
3. I love DaTr but HATE it when people make Tak all mushy and Dib such a horny-dog! and you just possibly created the greatest fan-made moment between them in this chapter!  
4. Gaz fighting a giant bull with pyrokinetic powers is just absolutely AMAZING!  
5. (and the last reason I'll give because i would be here forever if I gave you every reason) The way you portray Membrane could not possibly be done ANY better. I love how he has a dark "evil" side but only has it because he cares about his kids and bettering the world through SCIENCE by keeping everyone one oblivious and therefore away from galactic war!  
don't you DARE stop writing! or I shall steal your nachos and kick a puppy!

**Well what if I _want_ you to kick a puppy? _Hmm_? What then?**

**Master Plan: Defeated.**

**What do you call cheese that is not yours?**

**Nacho Chees.**

**That's right. I went there.**

**But really, don't kick a puppy. Kicks dogs, but not puppies.**

**Membrane is my most flexible character at this point. I kinda thought about it, and rivaling with Tak and (roughly) Iggins, his character is the one with the most plot-twists. Gaz, Zim and Dib are normally very straightforward about what they're going to do. Except that one time, in the fist of this series, with Zim turning on the Valkians.**

**WOO! Points for Membrane!**

ForceWalker

Chapter 32

Finally! Tak and Did finally kiss! I was starting to give up on seeing it happen, seeing as how they were hating each other so much! You nearly crushed my hopes, only to bring them back to life! I don't know whether to be angry of happy!  
Also, I loved the kiss! It may very well be the best DATR moment in IZ fanfiction. The way they were potrayed, how the kiss happened, and how they reacted, was something you felt could happen in the real show!  
I tip my hat off to you, ma'am. Now if only I could find that hat.

**. . . Isn't that what I always do with these couplings? XD**

**By the way, I stole your hat. That's why you can't find it. I would give it back to you, but, it would appear while the characters and I were discussing things backstage and planning out how this next scene would go, MiMi and Gir got into a little spat, after Gir took your hat and placed it over MiMi's head and she got pissed and ripped it to shreds before attacking him. I mean, I tried to save it, but, MiMi is about as terrifying as Tak and Gaz when she's irritated. It took Zim, Tak and I (because Gaz thought it was funny and Dib thought it was interesting to watch; I'm pretty sure Tak and Zim only helped because they didn't want their SIR units damaged but fair enough, since I only broke them up to try to salvage your hat) all of about twenty minutes to get them to stop. To be fair though, it was mainly MiMi attacking; Gir just thought they were snuggling.**

**. . . .**

**You say your hat is missing and I come up with _that_ in all of about five minutes. If anyone is still doubting my imagination, I hope I have proven myself by now.**

Potatoes4Eva

Chapter 32

*explodes into very many teeny weeny peices* YAY VIDEO! I'll watch it later, though... *looks forlornly at door because I have to go outside*  
HOLY WILLY LUMPKINS, OH NO SHE DID NOT. I did not foresee Tak doing that. I'mma go lock myself in a darkroom and go insane. I'll have to pack a bag, first, because going insane might take a while... *packs bag full of many smaller bags* All done! :D  
And Gaz, you show off. *waggles finger like a scolding old man, voice sounding just like said old man* You punk kids! Whippersnappers always fally-waggin' with Snorger-ma-what's-it's on my lawn!  
I AM ANTICIPATING THE NEXT CHAPTER.

**AHAHA, I had to go outside today. With my mother, to an old people party in which I was introduced as "-inster mother's name said in various way's here- youngest daughter! She's the writer, you know, the one that started buying those journals to scribble her little stories in when she was twelve? How's that going for you, dear? Published anything yet?"**

**A part of me wanted to say, "Yes, actually. I am posting an unrelated series on a website that has 300+ views on an average of 50 views per story. So stop being so f****** condescending and suck that, bitches!" But I did not. I just smiled and said, "hi", like a good little girl.**

**Damn that party of relatives. I _hate_ speaking with them!**

**Anyways, I honestly don't even know the name of what I named that creature. Just thought you all should know. I literally just sounded out a word, wrote down how it sounded and then just kept copying and pasting it.**

**(for the win)**

Really, with my story, you SHOULD expect the unexpected.

Gotta love me for that!

Also, the voting . . . I can pretty much say I'm getting really hyped up about the story. But I'm trying to not get TOO excited, so I don't lose my inspiration for this story.

Geez, this is gonna be so much fun!

**And sorry for the late update**! I've been at a party since I woke up this morning and JUST got back! Ugh, it sucked, and because all the other kids were like 3-7 and wouldn't sit still for pictures, I was dragged many a place in the really pretty house that was rented so someone could get whatever picture taken of a person instead of just scenery.

It. Was. Ridiculous.

But some of the pictures were cool, so I might be changing my Gir-tastic profile picture and altering the picture to be a silhouette, if I like it enough.

So yes, sorry.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 33  
"Expect the Unexpected"**

Gaz was still asleep when Zim was informed he was receiving a transmission.

He was reluctant to leave Gaz when she was in such a fragile state, but they would be leaving in the morning anyways. One would think the Tallest would want him to stay a full three days but that was not the case. Their curiosity of Gaz had been more than satisfied last night and she'd been deemed a suitable chose for a mate when she'd walked off the arena on her own and did not depend on Zim to take her off like a child. The Tallest would want them to be saying goodbye as soon as Gaz was fit to do so and then be on his way.

Which might be sooner than either of them thought, if this call was bad news.

Zim had already been mostly dressed so it had only been a quick slip on of a fresh uniform shirt before he'd hurried out the door. He was taken into a small computer room, for invaders receiving transmissions. It wasn't where the Tallest normally got their calls, but that was for obvious reasons.

He hit the button to accept the call.

Skoodge's face was there at once. "Invader Skoodge reporting in, sir!""

Zim's brow rose, nerves making his squeedily-spooch tingle uncomfortably. "Yes? What is it, Skoodge? Is something wrong?"

To Zim's ever-growing confusion, Skoodge smiled a bit. "No, sir. I call with good news. Permission to inform?"

His eyes narrowed, cautiously. "Granted. Continue with your news."

Skoodge reached down and held up a piece of paper to the screen. Zim eyed it. There were a lot of signatures dotting the lines.

"It's been concluded, Zim," Skoodge said, his propriety slipping in his excitement. He pushed the paper closer to the screen. "You own all of Earth!"

Zim's eyes went wide.

And then he felt the information sync in, to both his mind and his PAK. Skoodge did not react, as he was well aware of Zim's situation and his Time Limit. He watched curiously, having never seen an Irken's reaction to completing a mission before.

The energy he'd been slowly draining of, the tiredness he'd been hiding from Gaz, resting only after intimate moments to keep suspicion off of him, began to fill him once more. A month's worth of weariness disappearing within seconds, like taking a shot of adrenaline directly into your veins. That began to pump through him in that moment, making him relax. That strained feeling disappeared as his PAK came to terms with the fact he'd completed a mission. Zim's eyes closed and his antennae calmed as he smiled.

He hadn't felt this way in months.

When Zim reopened his eyes he saluted at Skoodge, resisting a giddy squeal, "Thank you, Invader Skoodge. I'll be home soon to deliver the press conference of my official reign."

Skoodge smiled back and saluted as well. "Congratulations, sir. You did it."

"I'll see you by morning," Zim replied, for it was just getting late Earth-time now. Gaz's fight had been around noon and she was (hopefully) still asleep in her room.

So much for staying on a normal sleep-schedule.

Regardless, they'd be home just as morning would arrive.

"Understood," Skoodge said, lowering his arm. "Sir!"

"Goodbye," Zim ended the call.

The familiar energy was like a buzz he was going to have to get used to all over again. Weeks of struggling to hide his tiredness from Gaz and now he wouldn't have to anymore, even if she would probably notice the subtle change in him. But maybe if he was lucky she'd just account to it as excitement from finishing his mission that he'd long given up on.

Zim practically ran back to his room, moving as quickly as he could while still being soldier-like. He'd have to tell the Tallest of his immediate departure, but first, he wanted to tell Gaz.

He crept back into the room silently, shutting the door behind him. He sighed with relief when he saw Gaz was still fast asleep, having shifted positions minutely. Even asleep, she seemed sore and Zim desperately wished he could allow her to rest longer, but they needed to leave at once. So reluctantly he walked to her bedside, placing a hand on her shoulder, one of the few places he was sure she went unscathed.

"Gaz?" Zim said gently, shaking her slightly. "Gaz?"

Her eyes drifted open and guilt wracked through him. She must have been really tired. But he comforted himself with the thought she could sleep the whole ride home and the fact they really did not have time to spare.

"Yeah?" She yawned, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What is it?"

"We have to leave," Zim said calmly, cupping her cheek with his hand. "It's nothing bad. In fact, it's good news. Skoodge needs me back home, for the last arrangements before he takes off."

Gaz's eyes widened. "So that means-?"

"Yes," He said, kissing her on the mouth, stopping any more words. "We won."

"_We_," She scoffed, gingerly moving to get up. "Like I did anything but play the innocent little damsel."

"Oh, but what a convincing one you were," Zim insisted, assisting her. "And besides, you did most of the back-planning anyways. I was mainly for the intimidating public figure."

"Oh great," Gaz commented smugly, though joy was still evident in her eyes. "Then we're both just phonies."

"Here, let me help you." Zim replied, ignoring her statement.

Gaz still wore a towel from last night, as he wasn't exactly going to go so far as dressing her in her sleep (unless she had asked him to, but otherwise that was just a sort of invasion of privacy) and so he walked her into the closet, flinching at every sign of sore muscles he saw. Which there were a lot of, so his face was mainly just a contortion of a grimace.

She managed to change, with little help from Zim, and walked around a bit to ensure she could do so with ease. Or, at least, be convincing enough to pretend she was unharmed. Zim draped the cloak around her when she was finished, to hide some of the soreness in her body with the cloth.

"I really am sorry about this," Zim apologized as he fastened the clasp. "Zim never intended for you to be hurt."

"I'm not hurt, I'm just sore," Gaz insisted, watching his fingers move patiently.

Zim finished quickly and he held her as close to his body as he could without causing her any harm. "Regardless, Zim is still sorry."

He led her out of the room at the fastest pace she could go, which was a slightly brisk walk. In a few minutes, the two of them were in the elevator, Zim shifting anxiously as he stood and waited.

Gaz's brow rose at his fidgeting. "Excited?"

"I've accomplished a mission I've been trying to do for 7 years," Zim retorted, a grin peeking through his stoic facade. "I would say 'excited' is pretty accurate description."

She smirked at him. "We'll have to figure out a way to celebrate then."

In truth, their success had yet to hit Gaz. For months, though she never showed it, Gaz had been rather terrified these past weeks. The thought of Zim's possible demise had gotten less likely by the day but with each day that passed, the possibility grew as well, since those were days closer to his doom. It had been a rather uncomfortable time for Gaz, even if she hadn't let Zim see it. At the moment (as stupid as it sounded) she was just happy because he was.

The doors opened the hanger, as usual and the Tallest turned.

"Zim!" Red shouted, looking surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Zim bowed low, as did Gaz, before the both stood. "My apologies, My Tallest, but I've just received urgent news from Invader Skoodge about the mission."

"Nothing bad, I hope," Purple commented, a brow rising as the two leaders shared a look.

"No, not at all," It seemed Zim couldn't entirely keep a smile off of his face. "In fact, it's great news, My Tallest. Today, or rather, this night, all of the remaining places of the world surrounded and gave their allegiances to the Irken Empire."

The Tallests' eyes widened in shock.

Zim continued. "Gaz and I are needed back home, to tend to the final details and make a public appearance. My greatest apologies, My Tallest, but we must take our leave."

"Aw," The two seemed sad, but it was Purple who had spoken, looking the sorer of the two. "That's too bad. We were looking forward to another fight today."

The couple resisted a grimace.

"Very well, Zim," Red nodded, sighing. "You may go. We will check in on you shortly to see how you are doing."

"Thank you, My Tallest," Zim replied, bowing once again.

He left no room for any promises of coming back anytime soon (or ever, for that matter; Zim did _not_ want Gaz participating in any more games) and led Gaz quickly out of the room, back into the elevator, and eventually into the 'Parking Garage'. Upon seeing them, cheers went up and congratulations on the fight, but they were only acknowledged with a wave of Zim's hand and a slight nod as they got into Zim's Voot Runner, that had not been touched since their arrival.

Upon the window shutting and the ship rising out of view, Gaz leaned back against the headrest and let out a sigh of relief at not having to move, for the moment. Zim groaned as they shot out of the tunnel and the first chance he got, put the ship on autopilot. He then turned to Gaz, grabbing her gently around the waist and sitting her on his lap. He proceeded to bury his face into her shoulder, inhaling her fragrance and sighing.

"I do not wish for you to be in pain," He murmured, kissing her on the cheek.

Gaz yawned, situating herself comfortably on his lap and resting her head on his shoulder. "Too bad. I'm going to sleep."

Zim wrapped the cloak around her, kissing her on the nose this time. "Of course. You should rest."

She closed her eyes, turning her head to face him. She planted a light kiss on his neck, which caused him to shiver and for her to smirk. Gaz shifted closer to him, sucking tenderly on his neck. Zim groaned again, but this time, it was not out of remorse for his mate. In slight protest, for he very much wished for her to rest, Zim leaned back, farther into his chair, effectively pulling her mouth from his neck.

"Gaz," He complained, disapprovingly, looking down at her. "You need to rest."

She resisted a snicker, resting her head against his chest. "We'll celebrate later, then."

Zim hissed.

Her brow rose, "What?"

"Must you always make Zim's life about making love to you at future times?"

"It gets you to get your work done faster," Gaz retorted smugly, shutting her eyes as she allowed herself to drift off into sleep.

* * *

Everyone stared in horror at the paper.

"It was made official a few hours ago," The messenger said solemnly. "He owns the world."

There was deathly silence. Not one word was spoken.

Tak's fists slammed on the table as she got to her feet. "Do you see where this waiting game has gotten you? He's _won_ now because none of you wanted to stand up and do anything while we could!"

Dib's eyes widened in shock. He reached hand up, to grab her shoulder. "Tak-."

"No; it's **_over_**!" She shrieked, shoving away. MiMi growled at the table before darting after her master, the door slamming shut behind both of them as they darted from the room.

More silence followed.

"She's right," Dr. Membrane finally stated. "We waited too long to act."

"We got word that the remaining countries weren't going to surrender!" An agent shouted defensively.

"Well clearly, something changed," Dr. Membrane said, bitterly. "Maybe it was the inevitable doom hanging over their heads. They knew we were just trying to stall what was going to happen anyways. We had no right to ask them to put their necks on the line while we hide out down here."

The weight of those words hung heavy on everybody. The members of the Swollen Eyeball looked down, frustrated, but guilty. They were well aware part of this was their fault, for acting so carelessly. For expecting so much but actually giving so little.

Dib cleared his throat, uncomfortably, standing, but much less dramatic then Tak had. "Um, I'm gonna go . . . check on Tak."

He turned and left, with all eyes on him. It made him uncomfortable to be in the room, since he felt like this was a conversation that was a bit out of his league. As much as Dib had wanted to be involved at the start, he wasn't fighting for the same things as the Swollen Eyeball anymore. He felt like it would be unfair to try and manipulate them any further. Besides, he could already see the outcome of this fight anyways.

It would work out right in the end.

When the door shut behind him, Dib let out a breath. The air in there was just so freaking heavy, _way_ too mature for his brain right now.

Especially dealing with Tak.

Dib wasn't sure if he should actually look for her, or just go to his guest room and let her figure out her problems on her own. Right now, odds were she was probably pissed and _really_ itching to hit something, so it was likely if he found her, he would serve as that much-needed punching bag. But with a sigh, Dib continued to go looking for her. It was also rather likely that where Tak was, she was probably wreaking havoc with her uncontrollable emotions. So despite the fact Dib really had yet to talk to her since there little, eh, 'moment', he was going to suck it up and deal with her.

Tak was found in the green room. Yes, it was odd to have a green room underground, but some people found the plants to be sort of therapeutic. They also gave people the taste of being above ground without actually being there, 'in danger'. Although they knew very well that if Zim wanted to, he could find and kill them all, since he'd found and 'kidnapped' Dr. Membrane so easily. The truth was they weren't useful to Zim anymore and the second he decided he didn't want them around anymore, they'd be dead.

"So maybe that's why they've been stalling," Dib muttered to himself, opening the door to the room and stepping inside.

Tak had her arms crossed, glaring down at some plant. As Dib neared her he saw it was a Venus Fly-Trap and nearly snorted.

Typical Tak.

"So what are you going to do now?" Dib asked, approaching her casually but cautiously, prepared to run from the room or dart away, if the need provided itself (which it probably would).

Tak swallowed stiffly. "I've no idea."

This stunned Dib. He stared at her. "Really? You . . . You didn't have a back-up plan?"

"What back-up plan?" She demanded, glaring hatefully at him. "I hardly had a _first_ plan, Dib, let alone a back-up if your idiotic club didn't work out!"

Dib watched as she let out an aggravated sigh, touching her hand to her head. He glanced at MiMi, who was continuing to surprise him more and more recently. One would think with Tak looking like she did, MiMi would be on edge. But her minion seemed relaxed, if not completely at ease (or as at ease as she could be, for being constantly on guard).

"She trusts you," Tak said, noticing his line of vision as he scrutinized MiMi. "The Tallest only know why, but she does."

"Well I _do_ have a record of keeping you sane," He joked, lightly.

The remark gained him no smile from her. Instead she glared at her SIR unit, who paid them no mind as she watched the door, in a calculating, irritated manner. It was like she was blaming _MiMi_ for all of her problems, although Dib didn't see how that was even remotely possible. If anything, MiMi was the ultimate minion.

"You really did wonders designing her, by the way," Dib added, trying for compliments instead of jokes. "She understands you completely. I haven't seen a flaw in her yet."

Tak snorted, as if the compliment was absurd. "Of course she's elite. I built her using a part of my programming. It's why she's so in-tune with me."

"So then you trust me too?"

It was a low blow, to trick Tak into saying (or _nearly_ saying) that. At once she stiffened again. MiMi's tail twitched but otherwise she did not react. Tak growled, but did not respond.

"I trust _you_, Tak." Dib stated, bluntly, getting a bit tired of how one-sided this conversation was turning out to be. "With all the crap we've been dragged through together so far, we've had each other's backs for a while I guess."

There was a pause.

". . . _Why_?"

That was definitely not what Dib expected. His head snapped up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Why should we trust each other, Dib?" Tak demanded, irritation slipping into her tone. "I'm Irken. I've lied to you, used you, and tried to destroy your planet. You're human. You tried to expose me, ruined my mission and your actions got me turned into a human. What out of those things gives either of us any reason to trust each other?"

"Well," Dib made a face. She really knew how to make things look bad, didn't she. "For starters, you've been helping me since this started, even if you did have your owns reasons for doing so. And, I've kept you from being dissected."

Tak scoffed, "A 1 to 3 ratio. Not very promising."

"Hey, face it, Tak," Dib made a bold and potentially dangerous move then. He slung his arm around Tak's shoulder, pulling her against him, but not particularly close. A friendly gesture, but one that just might cost him his arm. He laughed, shaking off his fear in favor of the moment. "We're pretty much stuck together."

Tak eyed his arm with such distaste, Dib thought his arm might be rotting. The action apparently inwardly affected her so much that MiMi's ears perked up and she turned, gaze flicking questioningly and suspiciously between the two.

She made a beeping noise.

Tak sighed, "I suppose so."

Dib's brow rose nervously, "What did she say?"

"She wants to know if she should get used to you," Tak stated, shrugging his arm off of her.

He shot MiMi a questioning look, "I thought you already trusted me."

MiMi flicked her tail at him, beeping and turning away again.

"She said 'Stop harassing me'," Tak said, brimming with amusement, smirking at the false-cat. "I don't think she's particularly fond of you, Dib."

"Aw," Dib said, frowning dejectedly. "I don't know why. I never did anything to her."

"I dislike you, so she does as well," Tak stated bluntly, moving to pet her cat in between the ears. MiMi seemed pleased with this, or maybe it was just the remark, but either way she was happy.

"Hey!" He shouted, clearly offended. "You kissed me, that's got to count for something!"

"Anything to keep your mouth shut," Tak snapped back, stroking MiMi and smirking at her cat. "Isn't that right, MiMi?"

Her minion nodded, turning back towards the door.

"Just a question," Dib stated nervously, sauntering uncomfortably up beside her. "Is that going to happen again anytime soon, or was that just like a one-time thing?"

Tak glanced up at him, a brow rising.

MiMi beeped again.

Her master snorted, "Inevitably."

Dib's eyes widened, baffled and confused. "What did she say?"

Tak shot him a smug look, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

At that moment MiMi hissed, jumping to her feet. A few seconds later the door opened, revealing an agent.

"Agent Moth-Man." He stated. "I bring news of our decision."

Dib's brow rose as he and Tak shared a look of boredom, turning back to him. "Yeah? What about it?"

The man gestured for him to come. "Agent Dark-Booty has instated you as the head of the operation. We're moving in on the alien and need you to go over what information we know about him."

Tak's eyes shot wide open, as did MiMi's. "_What_?"

* * *

Another cliff-hanger?

Are you all getting mad at me now?

Important note in the next chapter. I'm starting to wrap things up, sew up the seams to create the final outfit of this story.

. . . I need to find cooler metaphors.

**Daily Quote:  
". . . Am I supposed to be entertained by this?"  
"Not necessarily. I'm still trying to figure out what it looks like."  
"I don't get it. If the messages are this damned subtle, why does it matter?"  
"Well I don't know, I can't even see- OH MY GOD!"  
"What? What is it? What do you see?"  
"I'm not telling. You see it yourself."  
"GOD DAMN YOU!"  
****-That moment you're looking up subliminal messages in advertisements with you friends, and they get the message before you, so you start yelling at them when they won't tell you what it is you're supposed to be seeing.**

**This particularly one, you had to look upside down at and only pay attention to half of the picture. Which leaves me to wonder: Who did that in the first place to notice?**

Till the next chapter!


	34. Unprepared

**TOTALLY DID NOT EVEN REALIZE I WAS SUPPOSED TO UPDATE TODAY. MY BAD, GUYS, SO SORRY FOR IT BEING LATE!**

Which is why there's no comment responses or daily quote - I wanted to update as soon as possible.

SORRY!

I'm running out of chapter titles. :/

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR STORIES GET TOO LONG.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 34  
"Unprepared"**

Gaz woke up only when the ship landed.

Zim looked down at her as he popped the hood, lifting her from the Voot Runner but refusing to put her down. Now that she didn't have to make it public that she could walk on her own, he wasn't going to let her have to go through the tired labor of walking until she was in full health again. Gaz did not protest, clinging to him loosely as he walked inside.

"I love you," He reminded her, casually, looking down at her with a smirk. "And Zim will let ensure you are rested and catered to at our earliest convenience."

"Let me guess," Gaz said dully, glancing up at the sky, of which the sun was just rising from. "I'm attending the conference as well?"

"We'll be going back to our original hope soon and let this one stand," Zim informed her, walking towards the house. "I know you like the other more then this one, even if this one _is_ 'suitable' to your needs."

"That's true," She admitted, curling her arms tighter around his neck, pushing herself up to kiss him on the neck. "I still need celebrate with you."

"There will be plenty of time for that when you are feeling better," Zim insisted, turning his head and ducking it to kiss her tenderly. She felt his pace slow as his mouth tentatively opened hers, his tongue slipping inside and exploring heatedly. Gaz pulled herself a bit tighter to him as her eyes closed. The tender, heated kiss went on a few moments more before Zim chuckled, pulling away from the lip-lock. "Or, at the very least, until you feel you have the energy for it."

Gaz rolled her eyes, resting her head on his chest. "Horny bastard."

"You started it with your coy mentioning of rewards at later times!"

It was at this point Zim spotted Skoodge, waiting diligently in front of the castle. At once, two bouncing figures next to him seemed to excite all the more, but thankfully, Skoodge held back his two minions. Zim approached them, Gaz still shamelessly held in his arms.

"Master!"

"Squeak!"

Skoodge still restrained them, but Gir pointed an accusing finger, lip trembling. "You didn't call!"

"We were busy, Gir," Gaz said calmly, before he could further complain. "But we came back early, just for you."

Zim gave her a look of disbelief. She smirked at him. He shook his head. He would never understand how she flawlessly handled Gir. Zim decided he would just have to chalk it up to one of her many, mysteriously adapted talents.

"Okay!" Gir shouted, apparently satisfied with the answer.

Skoodge bowed low. "Congratulations, sir."

"Thank you, Invader Skoodge," Zim replied. "I trust you'll be sending off soon?"

"Within the week, sir," Skoodge replied. For once, his eyes drifted to Gaz, who was resting her head on Zim's chest again, eyes closed. He switched to Irken. "Eh, _Is your mate alright, sir?"_

"_Just a bit tired. Nothing to worry about._" Zim insisted, shrugging good-naturedly. But truth be told, he was in far too good of a mood to be upset. "_Thank you for your concern, though. I was unaware you were watching out for my mate behind my back._"

The last remark was with a teasing smirk. Skoodge smiled. "_We've known each other forever, Zim. You know us underdog Invaders have got to stick together._"

Zim laughed. "_Most definitely._"

In his arms, Gaz groaned. "Gah! You and your bilingual speaking."

Zim laughed at her now, kissing her on the head. "Don't count on that changing anytime soon. I quite like keeping you out of the loop."

Gaz growled at him, but said nothing. Despite popular belief, reader, these two have yet to stop enjoying bothering the shit out of each other. It's also very doubtful that they ever will.*

"Well anyways," Skoodge continued, switching back to English. "What do you want me to do, sir?"

"Nothing now, Invader Skoodge." Then he paused, glancing down at Gaz, who was apparently asleep on his chest. "Wait, when is my conference scheduled for?"

"Uh," Skoodge thought a moment before replying. "Noon, sir. Why?"

"I require for you to come and knock on my door exactly one hour before the conference." Zim stated, hands curling tighter around Gaz's form subconsciously. He began walking again, past Skoodge, who then ran ahead and opened the door for him. Zim nodded at him, but otherwise gave him no form of thanks. "And keep Gir and Minnie-Moose away from our quarters. Gaz needs to rest as much as she can before the conference."

_Because I want to be able to do other things that require energy as soon as possible_, he added in his mind, resisting a smirk.

"Yes, sir!" Skoodge said, then wilted a little when Gaz shifted in her sleep and Zim shot him a look. "Sorry."

Zim nodded, giving him a warning look but turning away. "You're excused."

Skoodge saluted again and gripped the two minions. He really was going to miss spending so much time with them. Maybe if he was lucky the Tallest would decide to frequently send him out, or at least give him a desk job that left him with a lot of free time to come visit. He was sure Zim wouldn't mind in the least, since it was Skoodge that was babysitting them constantly and keeping them occupied so the newlyweds could have their 'alone time'.

"Come on, guys," he said, gesturing for them to follow, which they did. "We're going to go leave them alone for a while."

"Why?" Gir said, looking over his shoulder at the disappearing couple, worriedly, before looking back at Skoodge. "Is Mistress sick?"

"She's not feeling well, Gir," Skoodge stated lightly. Then he smiled, trying to cheer the saddened minions up. "But hey, no worries! What about a movie?"

Minnie-Moose visibly brightened, "Squeak!"

Gir beamed as well, gripping the little moose by the horns and hugging him. "Okay!"

* * *

Before Dib knew it, he was being armed.

Tak was suddenly in the sparring rooms, teaching Irken fighting techniques. They were base moves, but ones the Swollen Eyeball was having difficulty trying to master. Dib, too, was sent in to fight with her, to show how he had adapted to fighting with Zim. Tak was surprised to find that she didn't beat him easily. However, things were happening in such a rushed manner, she wasn't sure if it was because he was skilled or her head just wasn't in the game.

Especially when she was thinking about what MiMi had said. The one sentence she absolutely _refused_ to translate for Dib.

"_Are you going to end up mating, master_?"

And her response? What had prompted that? Mating wasn't inevitable, _especially_ with Dib. Tak had examined her new body thoroughly though to see she did have slightly modified parts in her nether regions. It irritated her slightly to know that somewhere, someone on Irk knew what she looked like nude but what could she do about that now? Besides, it was all strictly professional anyways. It wasn't like she had been mounted while she was out. No Irken would dare be so brash and disrespectful.

She was resting now, watching the rather surprisingly large amount of people in the large, auditorium-like room as they sparred with one another. In all fairness, they weren't half bad, but they were definitely no Irken soldiers. However, thank the Tallest, Tak had yet to break a sweat. She wasn't sure if she _could_ sweat but if she couldn't, she had no complaint. At the very least, she didn't sweat _easily_.

Dib, on other hand-.

Said boy plopped down beside her, sweating rather profusely. Surprisingly though, he had a bit of a sweeter scent about him then a stinkier one. Her noise wrinkled nonetheless, because she refused to let him know that. Beside her, MiMi, too, recoiled from him, scampering over to Tak's lap through narrowed eyes.

"You smell, Dib." She stated, bluntly, shifting away from him in disgust. "Don't get too close. I don't want your disgusting stench rubbing off on me."

Dib gave her a look of disbelief. "I don't smell _that_ bad!"

"MiMi and I beg to differ," Tak retorted, petting said SIR unit smugly.

He scowled, drinking a bottle of water he'd taken from the many coolers in the corners of the room. "I don't know how _you_ haven't broken a sweat yet."

Tak smirk widened, "Simple; I'm not as disgusting as you are."

Dib snorted, "Gee, thanks."

"Oh, I'll insult you any time, Dib," She mocked, sweetly.

MiMi eyed Dib carefully. "_His lifespan isn't as long as yours. You'd only have him for a few years. And you couldn't recreate smeets. It would be a rather pointless union._"

Tak's brow rose, looking down at her. "_Do we have to talk about this in front of him? He asks questions."_

Dib's eyes flicked between the two. "What's she saying?"

"_See?_" Tak insisted before looking back up at Dib. "None of your business."

"Ugh," He ran his arm across his head, wiping some of the sweat off. "That's so annoying."

"Good." Tak then returned her attention to her and MiMi's conversation, ignoring Dib's scowl. "_It's not like I have much else to do anymore. A mate is about as Irken as I can get._"

"_So you're using him then?_" MiMi said, brow rising.

Tak rolled her eyes. "_You know very well that's not true. I am fond of Dib, it's just a fact and convenience he'd make about as good a mate as I'm able to get on this forsaken speck of a planet._"

MiMi relaxed before she nodded. "_Very well. I'll see if I can come up with anything about his lifespan problem, then._"

"Thank you," Tak murmured as Dib's attention was riveted elsewhere, on a group that was just perfecting the latest of the moves. "Dib?"

He turned his head back to her. "Yeah, Tak?"

She eyed him. Was this sweaty form what she was planning on being stuck with for his lifespan? "I've got a question to ask you."

Dib turned towards her fully, curiously, "What's on your mind?"

Tak straightened a bit, "I-."

"Dib!" An agent shouted. "We need your help with the last move. How are you supposed to twist to defend yourself again?"

"Yeah, sure, one sec!" Dib shouted back, looking back to his companion. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

Tak shook her head, "It can wait. Go help your hopeless club members."

He laughed at her, standing up and rolling his shoulders. "Alright. Don't forget to tell me later, then."

She snorted at the idea. "Like _I_ would forget anything!"

Dib shook his head at her, turning away. As a last minute thought, Tak eying him carefully since he wasn't looking, Dib removed his shirt, tossing it aside. At once he let out a sigh of relief, feeling much cooler as he left the shirt where he had sat. Tak's eyes widened with surprise at his sweaty back. She had always taken Dib to be a rather lanky, bony boy. Under the clothes he wore, he certainly seemed as such. But his bare upper body revealed muscles that were toned from years of chasing Zim in his childhood and working out in his teenage years to keep fit, in case an event like this happened. At the time it had seemed ridiculous.

But who was laughing now, _hmm_?

Dib was muscular, and Tak continued to eye him through narrowed eyes as he walked over to the group that had called him over. Tak wasn't surprised to find it was an organization of mainly men, so quite a few of them had their shirts off.

It was just that none of them looked as good as he did.

"Alright, what did you need help with?" Dib asked, reaching them.

One of the men eyed him with amusement. "Trying to impress your lady friend?"

Dib snorted, rolling his eyes. "Impressing Tak is impossible."

"Well," A female agent noted teasingly, glancing over his shoulder. "She seems to be admiring the view."

"Huh?" Dib turned to find Tak was indeed eying him, her eyes glancing up to lock with his as he stared at her in surprise. Her already narrowed eyes glared further, daring him to do anything. Confused (and frightened) Dib just turned back around, shaking his head. "I'm never going to understand her."

"She's a woman," the same female agent replied. "You aren't meant to understand her, Dib."**

"Oh, great," He commented sarcastically. "Can we stop talking about my non-existent love-life now and focus on fighting, please?"

They laughed at him, but complied.

Little did they know, with her advanced hearing (and MiMi's help of course) Tak had heard ever word. She looked down at MiMi. "What do you make of that?"

Her robot shrugged, curling up on her master's lap. "_I believe he needs to do some adjusting._"

Tak smirked, stroking her false-feline. "So do I."

* * *

Gaz had rested a while. Between the ride over and the few hours of sleep at home, she woke up fully energized, if not only a tad sore.

So, of course-.

Zim smirked, rolling Gaz onto her stomach and licking a long, slow line up her spine. She shuddered, only enhancing his smirk as he pressed his bare chest against her back, his hands slipping underneath her to grip her chest, massaging her breasts and kissing her neck from behind.

So he cursed whoever to Hell when there was a knock at the door.

He growled, sitting up, straddling Gaz's waist, and barking, "_**WHAT**_?"

There was a shout of surprise before Skoodge answered, nervous as always. "Eh, you t-told me to inform you when your conference was in an hour, sir."

Zim huffed, bitterly. "Yes, _thank you_, Invader Skoodge. You may _go now_!"

Gaz rolled her eyes at his squeak, shifting herself so she was on her back instead of her stomach.

"Yes, sir!" He shouted, his voice a bit higher then usual.

She could just _see_ him saluting before his feet scuttled away, frightened as always when it came to his superiors. But, he was a good soldier and a great deal of help to Zim, so, what could you do?

Zim let out an aggravated sigh, looking down at his mate before lowering himself, supporting his weight on his elbows as he kissed her neck.

"It seems we're constantly interrupted, aren't we?" He murmured in the brief moment his mouth wasn't on her skin.

She smirked. "You've got an hour left. Shouldn't you be preparing a speech or something?"

"To your human _Hell_ with speeches," he muttered, bitterly, hands slipping underneath her waist. "Zim will stay in his room with his mate as long as he likes!"

Zim groaned when she slithered herself downwards, biting his shoulder and sucking on his bare skin. His fingers pressed harder into her back, forcing her to arch against him. Gaz slid her leg slowly up against his, receiving a shudder from him as he pressed her harder against the bed.

Then she hissed, but not in a good way.

Zim pulled away from her, alarmed. "Gaz?"

She rolled away from him, her arm clutching her ribcage and squeezing her eyes shut. She waved a hand, the other holding her side. "No, I'm fine. Just a little cramp."

Zim's eyes narrowed as he got off of her, removing her hands gently and carefully touching the tender area. When she hissed in pain his red irises went wide with fear and he helped her sit up, propping pillows for her to lie against.

"It's nothing, Zim." She insisted when he gently moved her up. "It's probably just a sore spot from the fight."

He growled at her. "It is most certainly _not_ nothing. This," He pointed to the spot, careful not to touch her. "Is where the Pill would effect you, if there were any side-effects. Which there shouldn't be, if it was made properly."

Gaz's brow rose before another spike of pain hit her and she grit her teeth, looking away. "Well, you got the formula right. I'm sure it's just a period cramp or something. I'm due for it soon anyways."

Zim grimaced at the mention of her menstrual cycle but shook it off, kissing her on the mouth, worriedly. "I need to give you a proper examination, to ensure nothing is wrong."

Gaz eyed him questioningly as he stood, dressing quickly and digging through the closet. "What are you doing?"

"Finding you clothing." He stated, coming back out with a robe. Before she could object, he stated. "There's no point in getting you anything else, for the moment. You can dress yourself properly later. I need to examine you _now_."

Gaz sighed, rolling her eyes and holding her hand out. At least it was long and thick instead of those dainty, annoying things. Although it was large and looked like Zim's, maybe, since it was red and all but oh well. He walked over, helping her sit up and slip her arms into the thing. Then he fixed it around her, tying it carefully at the waist; secure enough not to reveal anything but loose enough not to cause her pain. He adjusted the cloth over her securely, picking her up gently.

"Ignorant Irken technicians," he growled as he used his PAK to open the door. "If this is _their_ fault, someone is going to be killed by the end of today."

"Hopefully a technician," She joked, lightly, attempting to humor him. However the smirk soon disappeared from her face as another wave of pain shuddered through her body and made her flinch and Zim growl further. Gaz was certain he was swearing in Irken as he muttered things under his breath, carrying her throughout the house. It made her thankful that Zim had secluded this part of the house off as they walked, encountering nobody, or they'd be getting a lot of strange looks at the moment.

Eventually he made his way into the lab with her, wasting to time and laying her down on the table immediately. He then proceeded to go to the computers, hitting buttons more rapidly then Gaz had ever seen him do before. All the while he was continuing to mutter under his breath as Gaz resisted the urge to react to the pain in her abdomen.

"**Scanning.**"

At once that ever-familiar grid pattern ran across her body and she was, as always, careful not to move. Soon enough Zim was on his screen, eying the scrolls of information she now understood. Gaz carefully, slowly, sat up and read on the screen.

"So it was the Pill," She commented, plainly.

Zim jumped, having forgotten she could read Irken. But he nodded, heading over to a safe in the corner. "Yes. I'll have to study it to see what went wrong and counter the effects."

Gaz's brow rose. "But . . . it's inside of me. How are you going to study it?"

"Oh," Zim pulled out a box as the safe opened, after his hand was scanned. "It's standard protocol to make two of every Pill, in case something like this happens. I'll compare this ones capabilities and your body more closely, to see what went wrong."

"We've got a conference in an hour," She reminded him. "We can't spend all day in here playing doctor."

"You're right, that's what the nights for," Zim countered, smirking. "But we're not 'playing doctor', I'm trying to keep you healthy."

"_Wooooow_," Gaz commented, stressing the word. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I cannot believe you just said that."

"It was amusing, no?" Zim retorted pridefully, smirking to himself. Then he was serious again. "Regardless of my amazing sense of humor though, the computer says your symptoms should be gone right about . . . now."

And of course, he was right. Gaz let out a sigh of relief as it went away, relinquishing her hold on the no-longer pained spot. "Any idea when it's going to come back?"

Zim walked over to her, holding her securely, comfortingly, by the waist. "The computer will be able to diagnose the problem by the time our conference is over. You won't have to worry about it soon enough."

"Cool," Gaz then glanced down at her bare leg, which was sticking out from the robe. "Can I go put on some clothes now?"

"Mm," Zim picked her up again, heading out the door as the computer continued to compare and analyze, despite its master's leaving presence. "Less then an hour now, right?"

"Yup," She agreed, readjusting the bathrobe.

Zim eyed her, his PAK appendages shutting the door behind him. "Well, you _are_ almost naked."

"You couldn't do it in an hour," Gaz stated bluntly. "And that would leave us absolutely no time to get ready."

Zim growled, huffing, knowing full well she was right. "_Fine_. But I am staring to feel awfully robbed of my rights."

"My body isn't a right," She flicked him in the forehead, smirking. "It's a privilege."

He just huffed again, saying nothing.

* * *

*I think that's the first time I've addressed the fact this is, unfortunately, a story.

**I think if you went through all of my stories, you would find how often I use that exact phrase.

Oh, such a short, short chapter.

I'm setting things up for the final, epic conclusion to my most popular series ever.

Till then.


	35. The War Begins

Torrasque666

Chaapter 34

What did I tell you about breaking the fourth wall? NEVER admit this is a story...*grumbles* now I have to go find my interdimensional spackle kit again...  
But yeah, great story still, I don't know how much better this can get.

**I REFUSE TO COOPERATE. :)**

**You're welcome. (thumbs up)**

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 34

OMG, I totally know what you mean by that!  
Its good to see that Zim is beginning to grasp the concept of "roleplay."

**Ahaha, Zim's a perve and we know it!**

**And mean by what?**

ngrey651

Chapter 34

The pill? Oh no, don't tell me that it's slowly killing her or someth-  
Unless...maybe...  
Gaz is PREGNANT?

**I will point out once again, Gaz cannot get _naturally_ pregnant. Although that _would_ be a rather amusing twist.**

Invader Johnny

Chapter 34

Wow this IS the shortest chapter I ever read from you.  
Heh I find it funny, Mimi of all people if a robot is considered a person... I dunno... anyways I find it highly amussing that she is playing matchmaker with her mistress and Dib.  
As for Gaz's problem with the pill why do I feel that something ironic is about to happen?  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**I know (dejected face palm).**

**I LOVE MIMI! I've no idea why, but if I could be any character, it would be her.**

**You may or may not be right about that 'ironic' thing.**

My brain is so fried right now.

I'm in pain though, so it's clearing my head and giving me inspiration.

Weird, right?

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 35  
"The War Begins"**

Gaz was in obvious disbelief as she looked up, giving Zim a look. "Seltzer water?"

Zim beamed, proudly, his hands behind his back. "Correct. Now drink it."

"This is stupid." Gaz stated, but sipped the glass nonetheless. "What was the problem?"

"For some reason, the Pill decided to be gender-choosing." He replied. "It wanted to cooperate with a male rather then a female and got confused, ending up in the stomach, which is why you got pains there. It's already working properly again, now that it's figured out its error, but this should get rid of the remaining pains."

Gaz continued to sip at the cup, sitting on the table, fully dressed this time. She had a thoughtful expression as she drank, Zim watching her with a pleased expression all the while. The conference had been unnaturally quiet, but he had hardly minded. The stunned faces had actually pleased Zim. But really, what had these people expected? For someone to just heroically kick in the front door of his house and stop him? Humans believed far too much in their own fairy-tales.

It was time they faced the real world. Their _new_ world.

Zim had brought Gaz back right after the conference. The second Pill had been analyzed thoroughly and thankfully, the pain was going to be squashed before it could be a problem. It had never been a worry of Zim's that he wouldn't be able to fix Gaz, but it was nice to know that he wouldn't have to worry about her getting random shots of pain in the middle of their intimate moments again.

"Better?" He questioned, his head tilting to the side with concern.

Gaz nodded. She hadn't been in pain, but she had felt like a knot was in her stomach. The bubbly water felt like it was making it dissolve now. "Yeah."

"Good," Zim looked pleased again, cupping her cheek gently. "You had Zim worried. I thought I had done something wrong."

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "You're so paranoid."

"How is Zim at fault for worrying about you?" He demanded, completely baffled.

Gaz smirked at him. "You're such a baby. You were more concerned then _I_ was."

Zim scoffed, shaking his head. "You could have a knife in your back and would still walk around insisting you were perfectly fine."

"Well I don't think I'd be walking. I think I'd be murdering whoever had put it there in the first place," She corrected casually, downing the rest of the cup. "So do I have to drink this frequently, or . . .?"

"Once a day, for a couple of weeks," Zim instructed, sounding like a doctor. "Nothing particularly extravagant."

"Kay," Gaz pushed her hair behind one ear, wrapping her arms around her neck as she set the glass down. "Alright, I'm fine now. And I think you've been more then patient enough."

Zim beamed, smirking as the hand on her cheek lowered to her waist. Then concern went across his face again. "Are you sure you're-?"

"Ask me that again. Watch what happens." Gaz insisted, through narrowed eyes.

Zim laughed, pressing his mouth against hers a moment before pulling away. "Will you ever lose your temper?"

"I doubt it," She replied with an indifferent shrug.

"Good."

And then he was picking her up again, walking her back towards their room.

* * *

It had been a week.

That was all the time the Swollen Eyeball were willing to waste and even that was too much.

"Gear up!"

Tak was thrown a vest, which she caught easily enough. MiMi zipped up next to her, peering at it as master and minion shared a skeptic look. "What is the purpose of this garment?"

The woman smirked at her. "It's too prevent penetration in the chest, like bullets or stab-wounds, things like that."

Tak snorted, but slipped it on over her black, long-sleeved garment. MiMi got off while she did so, to stay out of the way. "Very well."

"Make sure your boots are secure," She ordered everyone in the room. "We're leaving tonight. I won't have anyone getting hurt because they don't know how to dress themselves!"

Only women were in the room. Dib and the rest of the men were in another room preparing. Was that sexist? Incredibly so, but no one particularly cared since everyone was too focused on Tak to take notice. Oddly enough, the women of the organization admired her (and were fascinated by her, considering her origins) for being able to gain so much respect in so little time. Everyone knew Tak's past well, since she'd been thoroughly interviewed about the alien-culture she had been raised by yet seemed to have little to no sign of trauma from the event.

Unfortunately, everyone suspected it had something to do with Dib.

It was a fact that both irritated her and calmed her. Tak was currently on the fence about becoming mates with Dib. She was going to live forever, while he . . . would die in a lot less time than that. Not to mention he'd become old and gross long before that. MiMi had yet to figure out anything and until she did, Tak had decided she wasn't going to invest anymore thought into the possible union. Not to mention Dib still seemed unsure himself about the idea, despite the fact the two had engaged in a kiss.

"Maybe I should try harder," Tak muttered to herself, examining the vest.

MiMi looked up, a brow rising. "_Master?_"

"Nothing, MiMi," She said, shaking the thought off and pointing to her ensemble. "How is everything?"

A quick zip around her body and then Tak was on her shoulder again. "_Everything is secure and fastened, master. Nothing out of place._"

"Good," Tak murmured, making a face as she momentarily wondered what Dib looked like in his combat uniform. Then she growled, shaking her head again and blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes afterwards. "Ugh, MiMi, when do we leave again?"

MiMi's eyes narrowed in confusion at her master's sudden forgetfulness, but she answered. "_Within the next ten minutes, standard Earth-time._"

"And it's morning, correct?"

"_Correct._"

"You could've just asked one of us that," One of the women overhearing said, a gun resting on her shoulder, an inquiring gaze on her face. "You don't have to be afraid of us."

Tak eyed the gun, a brow rising. "Shouldn't I?"

It wasn't that she didn't like these people (although not saying she was particularly fond of them either) or anything. She didn't trust them, that was for sure but they acted carelessly and stupidly. On Irk, moves like theirs would get you killed in a heartbeat. Tak was well aware of their plan.

She and Dib just had one of their own.

The very thought nearly brought a smirk to her face at the humans ignorance, but she was speaking and a smirk was inappropriate for the conversation at hand.

The woman laughed, "This things only for the army, sweetie. Not you."

Tak nearly snorted at this. A while ago, she would look like her origins.

_And then you wouldn't be so hesitant to pull that thing on me now, would you?_ She thought angrily, mockingly. But on her face, she smiled, although MiMi's eyes narrowing resulted in the woman turning away casually, which made Tak's smile broaden as she stroked her ears.

"_Good girl_," She murmured in Irken, so as not to be overheard.

MiMi just seemed pleased and pretended to purr a bit, Tak giggling as she did so.

This went on until a commanding shout made her stop.

"Alright, ladies! Lines!"

They'd all been given segregated places to stand while they marched into the main exciting room, where people even had cars they were assigned to. Tak was up front, because she would be going in a car with apparently some of the higher ups, since she obviously knew more than any of these other agents. MiMi, of course, was coming, if not because of her resourcefulness, it was because Tak had given everyone such venomous looks at the mention of leaving her behind possibly that the subject had been dropped soon after.

"Tak, up front! Your cars here!"

Unlike Gaz, who Tak had been informed had apparently been named 'Little Sister' (_how uncreative_, she'd scoffed), Tak had never been given a code-name. Dib suspected it was because the Swollen Eyeball was too lazy and didn't need to be focusing their efforts on giving her a codename. However Tak knew very well it was because they knew (or at the very least suspected) she would refuse to answer to it.

Tak darted outside, with her natural grace supporting her as she exited, ignoring the instructions everyone else was receiving.

As stated, a car was there.

With three men (made obvious by the bulk of muscle under their combat uniform consisting of black, somewhat baggy pants, long black shirts, combat boots, and a vest like her own; basically her uniform in a manlier form) standing seriously before the car, as the driver got in, it was very clear who stood out.

And it wasn't just Tak.

She couldn't quite help herself as she walked, with just a little more hip in it then necessary. MiMi said nothing but, surprising Tak entirely, the little kitten-sized creature jumped off her shoulder and darted over, onto the shoulder of the one standing out.

Especially with that ever-present trench coat on them.

_Idiot_, She thought.

Her brow rose as she approached them. Once again, much to Tak's ever-growing shock, MiMi's new perch did not seem surprised in the least. They smiled and _petted_ her, in fact.

"She's acting weird today," Tak commented, under her breath.

However, MiMi's actions drew attention to the approaching female, as it was well known by now that if one was there, the other was nearby. Dib turned to smile at Tak and she smirked back, coming to a stop at his side as the car began inspection for traps.

She gestured to the weapon on his back, "Nice."

"You like it?" He replied, looking a bit pleased. Whether it was because Dib thought she was impressed or because he had a new toy the Swollen Eyeball was trusting him with, she could not tell. "Standard issue. According to Agent Grey-Hound, this thing packs a punch."

Tak held her arm out and MiMi immediately leaped onto it. Tak scratched under her chin as she spoke. "Congratulations on your new toy. Try not to break it, since you probably won't be getting another one."

Dib rolled his eyes at her remark, but then noted she was unarmed. "Hey, don't you have a weapon?"

A vicious smile broke out on Tak's face as she giggled, cynically, giving Dib chills. "I hardly need a weapon, Dib. I requested not to have one, since I don't know how to use them anyways."

"I'm sure you could've figured it out." Dib insisted, smiling warmly at her.

She snorted, crossing her arms. "I hardly need the encouraging statement. You're right, I am more then capable of it; I just don't want extra, useless luggage to carry around. I prefer to be as quick as I can be on my feet and a weapon," she gestured to the bulky one strapped to him. "Would just slow me down."

"You're awfully cocky, aren't you?" One of the men laughed, apparently overhearing her last statement.

Tak grimaced at him for the interruption but Dib shot her a look before the man could notice. She quickly replaced it with an unreadable expression, placing her hands on her hips and looking away. But it did not escape her that Dib's line of vision went downwards, to where those curves of hers were, but she decided to ignore him and let MiMi read him for her to retell later.

"One tends to obtain that sort of attitude where I'm from," She replied, darkly.

Tak found that when she mentioned 'where she came from', people often dropped the subject, assuming it was a sensitive one. Demonstrating that now, the man quickly shut his mouth, looking back towards the van. Dib rolled his eyes and Tak shot him a smirk, now that no one was paying attention to her. He, obviously, being the straight-and-narrow guy he was, did not approve of her tactics to get people off of her back. Sure, he didn't want Tak's secret being discovered but he didn't want her making these agents uncomfortable either!

Dib leaned towards her, lowering his voice so they wouldn't be heard this time. "Is that really necessary?"

Tak's eyes narrowed as she smiled at him, creating a somewhat creepy effect, matching his tone. "People on this planet need to know there are consequences for being so nosy. Especially with me and my business." Then she scowled at him, eying how close he was to her. "And stop leaning so close to me."

He blushed, backing off at once, but trying to make his point nonetheless. "Well you shouldn't be so-!"

"Hey, you two," The driver said, sternly as the doors opened. "Enough talk; get inside."

Tak shot him a look through narrowed eyes, walking past him, once again with a bit too much of an alluring stride then necessary, but it was hardly on purpose this time. Often when she became angry, her walking changed. While Tak had yet to notice, MiMi carefully peered to see Dib's reaction from the corner of her eye, only to see him very clearly eying her as he followed. However, he soon noticed MiMi watching him and looked up, red tinting his cheeks, eyes widening behind his glasses. Yet somehow, the cat-like creature seemed smug. Although how she accomplished that expression without a mouth, Dib did not know, but that's just what he saw in her look before she turned around, standing at attention on Tak's shoulder.

Dib wondered if he was going to get in trouble later, but one could hardly blame the poor boy. Especially after that little kiss, even if it had been a short one.

It was a moment Dib had been agonizing over, though shockingly, he'd been quite good about hiding his troubles from those around him. Especially Tak. Dib had no idea what she would think if she found out just how confused he'd been after that. And not in the way she'd probably expected, either. He figured Tak would think that he would only be confused because he didn't know if that was a one-time thing or something that was going to happen often. But no, what Dib was really thinking about were _his_ feelings.

He liked Tak, he knew that much for sure. Somewhere along the way, trudging through his screwed-up mess of lies and events he and she had been dragged through so far, Dib had grown out of his dislike towards her and the two were somehow on much friendlier terms now. The kiss being a perfect example of that, since Tak would've never dreamed of touching him, let alone kissing him when she'd first regained her memories. Whether he liked her more though was the problem.

Stupid kiss.

Why did it have to be so freaking amazing?

Dib took his seat in between Tak and another agent. She looked out the window, ignoring him entirely. A part of the reason they were leaving so early was because the drive was so long. He nearly sighed, resting his head back against the seat and looking up at the roof of the car. Well, at least the drive would give him some time to think things through before they went in. Dib knew he'd be no good if he was too distracted to focus. He'd probably end up getting himself killed before he and Tak could go to work.

No one was feeling particularly talkative on the ride up, which was understandable. It was highly likely everyone was driving to their dooms, but what could they do? They'd waited long enough. Now was time for action!

Glancing over at Tak, Dib nearly groaned again. The last time Tak had faced Zim, she'd very nearly gotten herself kicked. At the very least, she'd gotten the absolute crap kicked out of her, which worried Dib more then it probably should, and in more than just the "friends protect each other" way too. Dib was honestly worried he was taking her to get killed as well and he wouldn't be able to help her.

According to the Swollen Eyeball, Dib and Tak were on Soldier-Duty; meaning they were to help fight the army that had probably been implanted with Irken techniques and training. But after some heated discussions, the two of them had figured out that it was likely they were only trained enough to face humans, since if Zim ever lost control, for whatever reason, he would want to be able to fight them and win easily enough. With the moves Dib and Tak had showed them, the Swollen Eyeball would probably be able to hold their own without their help.

They weren't quite sure, however, what was going to be done about the Emperor and his Empress. There was also the slight risk that someone would notice their absence, but in the heat of a battle? It was highly unlikely. Running into the team (if one existed) going after Zim, Gaz and (maybe) Skoodge? That was a much larger possibility, but a risk they were going to have to take.

Dib glanced around, noticing with surprise most of the car (save the driver, Tak and himself) had fallen asleep.

Well . . . it _was_ early in the morning. And they were all probably pretty tired, despite their serious demeanor.

A new weight on his lap made him look down.

MiMi was making herself comfortable, much to Dib's surprise. Glancing over at Tak's lap, he saw she had crossed her legs. Probably why MiMi had, like a real cat, moved to a find a better spot. Tak was eying the cat with an unreadable expression, a slender brow raised. MiMi ignored them both, curling up with her tail over her nose.

. . . _Weird-ass SIR unit . . ._ Tak thought, disapprovingly, eyes narrowing.

Dib smirked a little nonetheless, pointing, whispering for everyone in the car who was sleeping's sake (a category which now included MiMi, apparently . . .), "I think she's starting to like me."

Tak snorted, rolling her eyes, speaking mutedly as well. "You're just a pillow to her right now."

He couldn't help but grin. "Jealous?"

Apparently not understanding the joke, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Of what?"

Dib shook his head, "Never mind."

Tak made a face, muttering as she turned back to the window, Dib snickering as he heard her, her elbow propped up against it as she leaned her head against her head. "_Odd little Earth-boy . . ._"

"Love you too, Tak," he joked, quieter, since the agent next to him had shifted a bit.

MiMi's ears shot up, turning her head to see Tak's face. The girl had frozen entirely, otherwise revealing nothing. Dib bit his lip nervously, looking down at MiMi to try to gauge Tak's reaction. The SIR unit, however, was turning her face away, carefully, as if nothing had happened, going back to rest. He frowned. It was just a joke, after all. He hadn't meant anything by it.

. . . Right?

_Ugh!_ He thought, looking away from the female beside him. _Why is my life so complicated?_

* * *

Gaz was alone, for once. Since Zim ruled the world now, he often found himself busy, although she was his priority. Skoodge was starting to pack up already. Gaz had no idea when he was going to actually leave, but she had a feeling that she would miss him. She knew Zim would miss the baby-sitting, but there were more then enough ways to distract Gir and Minnie-Moose, should that be necessary.

The only reason she was doting on these ideas was because Gaz was feeling like everything was over now.

She had torn her life, and the world, apart for Zim. Her brother probably hated her now, after finding all that crap, untouched and unburnt, in her room.

Dib.

His name brought a small smile to her face. Never had Gaz really been a sentimental person but after the kind of month and a half she'd had, she felt like she deserved to feel _something_. And not with Zim in the room. It wasn't that she was getting sick of him, no, Gaz loved the idiot but he always comforted her when she was upset. Right now she needed a clear, unbiased and uncomforted mind to think things through.

_If Dib were here, he'd probably comfort me too,_ She thought, bitterly, looking down at her lap.

Zim had said they would be moving after Skoodge left, back to that original base of his that Gaz liked better, for whatever reason. Maybe she was just attached to it but nonetheless, it was her preference. When Zim was busy, Gaz either hung around Gir, Minnie-Moose and Skoodge (who seemed to have formed a little group of their own; something that was expected, since they'd spent so much time together), or helping train the armies for personal entertainment. In a way it was a simple kind of life she'd set herself to lead. Not a boring one, definitely not, but one that made sense.

The only downside now was that Dib couldn't be here.

"He probably wishes I wasn't his sister," She muttered to herself, leaning on the balcony connected to their room, twisting the ring on her finger absentmindedly.

Her mental debate was how much he probably hated her. Zim could very well find him, in a heartbeat really, but if she located Dib and went to him, would he be willing to speak to her? What about Tak and the rest of the Group? Was he still with any of them or had he moved on? She doubted he had stayed with the Group, since a bit of research on the internet informed her that they all seemed to have dissolved their small rebellion. The Swollen Eyeball, too, was nowhere to be found and believed to be in hiding. Maybe Dib was with them, but what about Tak, then? Where was she?

She'd probably recommend to Zim that he start figuring out where she was, now that he had some free time. That matter had never really been brought up and it annoyed Tak that she had left before things could make sense. If Zim had waited a little longer, they might've figured out her identity while she was there, and it wouldn't be such a big mystery.

And then . . . there was the problems the Pill brought.

In a century, Gaz would still be alive. She would still look like she did now, young and probably not having changed in the slightest. But where would her father be, if he wasn't able to find a way to ultimately sustain his own life? He'd be buried six feet under. Would she even be allowed to know when he was dead? Would the hiding-out Swollen Eyeball bother to tell her? Would they bother to tell Dib, if he wasn't with them already? Had Dib been arrested for what she had tricked him into agreeing to? And in a decade, even if he was much younger than their father, he too would be gone.

And then what would she do then?

What could she do about it _now_?

A vibration made her brow rise and she looked back inside, thinking maybe it was a phone or something. Immediately after she realized they actually did not have phones, so it couldn't be that. She looked out to the view of the balcony, wondering if maybe something in the training grounds had gone wrong. But from her fantastic line of vision, thanks to the height of the balcony, she could see nothing out of the ordinary. Except everyone had stopped and were looking around, every bit as confused as she was.

Gaz's eyes narrowed. Was this an Earthquake?

She walked back inside. Things were indeed quivering, if only slightly. Less than a cell phone going off. It put her on slight edge, though. The last time there was an earthquake that lasted this long, Zim had taken over the world.

So what was going on _this time_?

Gaz felt glad she had chosen to wear pants today. Black pants and a red shirt. She snagged a coat out of the closet, ditching the room in favor of finding out what the hell was going on. She was well aware Zim would probably prefer that she stay there but that was too bad. He knew better then to expect her to sit back and wait for him to come get her anyways.

She had just reached the hallway when she spotted Skoodge, racing around the corner, towards her room. He skidded to a halt when he saw her, approaching her and saluting, a wide-eyed stare as he did so.

"Empress Gaz," He said, antennae wilting slightly at addressing her correctly. "Please come with me immediately!"

Her eyes narrowed and Skoodge cringed a little. "Why? What's going on?"

"Invader Zim has requested you be placed in a safe house for the-!"

Gaz immediately darted away from him, startling Skoodge. He couldn't help but stare in disbelief as she raced from him, faster than a human should be able to move. Then he groaned, his hand slapping to his head. Zim had warned him this might happen. Oh, why hadn't he come up with a better plan? By the time he came out of his pity-fest, Gaz was long gone. He sighed and began running after where he _guessed_ she might have gone.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tak was eying MiMi's focused expression as her 'cat' tried her master's latest idea of breaking and entering.

Dismantling the entire system itself.

Or, rather, reprogramming it, actually. The reason the ground was shaking was because Zim had effectively placed the force-field like a mini snow globe. Now that they were screwing with it, it was trying to fight her off and quite obviously failing.

It was so simple, she was angry she hadn't thought of it before. Rather than completely shut down the force-field, an impossible task, why not just make it accept more than just the soldiers with their little medallion entrance passes? Why not make it accept the Swollen Eyeball emblems as well? Of course, this had to be done quickly, as no doubt Zim had probably prepared for this. And there was a small timeline Tak had before his back-up security kicked in.

"How close are-?"

"Ssh!"

She was grateful for whoever had silenced the questioner. She and MiMi needed to focus.

There was a ding and MiMi retracted.

Tak sneered. "We're in."

At once a walkie-talkie was out, "We're in."

And everyone charged.

Dib was next to Tak, gripping her wrist so as not to get disconnected, and running in with the rest of the mass of black-garbed figures with Swollen Eyeball emblems on their backs and chests. They had entered from the back and were running across an expanse of field, silently, like a cloud was beginning to block the sun and darken that part of the property.

It took 2 minutes, just as they saw the house coming into view, for them to spot the army. However Tak was able to ignore them, knowing they would be handled, to look at the house.

Tak gripped Dib's arm, veering off to the edges of the mob of people. She spoke as she ran, completely unwinded. "I've got an idea of how to get inside."

Dib's brow rose, breathing heavily as he spoke. "How?"

"The servants are still here, right?"

He nodded.

"Don't servants have all-access?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, the master keys to the doors?"

Dib's eyes widened. Then he nodded. "Tak, you're a genius."

She smirked, "Glad you finally noticed."

Then the fighting began.

* * *

Finally, a cliffhanger worth while!

2 chapters left. Max.

Dib's on the property with Tak. Zim is who knows where, but apparently still in charge. And where is Gaz going?

So you'll have to find out next chapter.

**Daily Quote:  
"I have a wand made out of bamboo!"  
"Why? Are you a panda?"  
"No!"  
"Are you gonna eat your wand?"  
"NO! Then I couldn't do magic!"  
"Yes you could, you'd just have to burp to get the magic to come out!"  
-A conversation walking home from school with my usual guy friends.**

**Why does school inspire me so?**

Till then.


	36. Chaos

ngrey651

Chapter 35

Only TWO chapters left? You continue to amaze me and surprise me with these revelations! And it IS a relief seeing  
1. Gaz ISN'T dangerously sick.  
2. She's actually missing Dib.  
The "Pill" kinda brings up a good question. "Is a really long life or eternal life worth it"? And I think the answer is no, because as Hobbes from Calvin and Hobbes said, "If good things lasted forever...would we appreciate them as much?"

**I do so very much enjoy your opinions. I always like new ideas, about anything and your comments always make me think a little bit.**

**When it comes to Gaz though, I think the only life she values is hers and her family's. And for Zim, just his race (sorta) and Gaz's. So for them, as long as those things exist, they are content with life. And so is our brief enterance into the psyche of these twp sociopaths.**

**You like how I say "I think"? Seriously guys, even though these personalities ARE partially my creation, I can never fully get into the minds of these two. I would never do _half_ the shit they have but yet I'm the one who wrote it. O.o**

**Confused? Cool, I am too. :D**

Potatoes4Eva

Chapter 35

No wonder pandas are magical! They eat magic wands!  
And I still need to watch that video... *looks towards bedroom where ACTUAL computer is (*is on iPod*)* *sigh*  
And Gaz may be pretty wicked awesome, but she's an idiot. GO WITH SKOODGEY WOODGEY, dumbass! :c  
That cliff-hanger was impolite. I did not ask for cliff-hanger. RavenFollower, where are your manners! *waggles finger*

**AHAHAHA, I AM TELLING MY FRIEND THAT. :D**

**I am going to kick you. Go watch it!**

**Hehehe, I know, right? Personally I would've just gone with him and demanded to see Zim pretty much non-stop from the safety of wherever I was until I got into contact to him _somehow_. And knowing Gaz (and my brain) she'd probably get in touch with him eventually.**

**But PPFFT, since when has Gaz been cooperative?**

xoAmaxi

Chapter 35

ONLY TWO CHAPTERS LEFT? GAAAAH.  
I'm so excited yet so unhappy at the same time. D:  
I want to know how it ends... But I don't want it to end!  
DAMMIT.  
Well - I should actually review this rather than moan about;  
This chapter is VERY well done!  
It's so action packed and emotional, it's a great build-up to an epic finale.  
I nearly forgot about the ring, I'm glad that was brought back up.  
And the cliff hanger left me shivering in anxiety...  
THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD.

**:( Yes, it's ending. And yes, I've been neglecting the poor ring on her finger. We all know it's there, but we've just forgotten about it. XD**

KotaWingz

Chapter 35

Sorry i didn't review on the last chapter... school keeps getting in the way of my reading time. .  
OMG ITS ALMOST OVER? D: How will I ever find another good ZAGR fic? (besides chedderbiscuit's, Meta Morphine is pretty awesome)I think I will have to get better at writing romance so I can write one of my own.

**Ugh, I know. School (face palm); I have OOBER hard classes this year and only like, maybe two easy ones? Probably one, but still, I get what you mean.**

**Hey, cheddarbiscuit! You've got another fan!**

**Also: While I will _not_ be continuing this series, I am writing more ZAGR fics. Although since school is my priority (unfortunately -_-) I will only be updating once a week because of it. Please see my profile for more information about that. :)**

Invader Johnny

Chapter 35

YAY! I KNEW YOU WOULD UPDATE TODAY!  
And why is it important? Because today is Jhonen's birthday! so its an honour to read a chapter of your on the National Zim DAY!  
Or Jhonen's Birthday or Probing Day! whichever you wanna call it LOL.  
I kinda hate it that Dib, Tak and the rest of the swollen eyeball made it to Zim's fortress and are now INSIDE... then again I'm also kinda glad since all hell is about to break loose.  
Invader Johnny Signing Off.

**YES, HE IS MY HERO.**

**Ahaha, Probing Day. Good times, good times. Where's my mallet?**

**Yes, if there's anything I hate about this story it's how easily they got inside. But honestly, I could think of no other way, besides the help of Tak and MiMi. Plus, I just wanted this to be a jumpled mess of bad-ass attacks, like REAL fights!**

ForceWalker

Chapter 35

Ah Dib and his messed-up feelings. They can do that to ya, buddy. You don't know if what you're feeling is just friendship, or something more. But at least one bright spot is that MiMi is actually taking to Dib! And here I thought the cat would hate him forever!  
And the Pill went gender-choosing? That is so weird, yet funny at the same time.  
But now all hell has broken loose. Gaz has run off, Dib and Tak have infiltrated, the Swollen Eyeball is fighting for their lives, and who knows what Zim is doing. So epic!  
Yet only two chapters left? No! Why must it end? Why must this masterpiece of a series end? I feel like crying! No, I must hold it in! I am a man! But I don't know if I can!  
But I'm predicting something here: Dib is going to take the second Pill Zim has! Am I right? I mean, it would totally fix the age problem that he has with Tak when it comes to romance, and he can live as long as his sister! Why else make a second Pill?

**MiMi/Dib = Joy to me to write. I think their brief interactions are the most fun thing to write in this story, aside from the Zim/Gaz moments. Seriously, those two. I'm just waiting for a message from someone asking my permission to do a spin-off of them, cause they're just to fun to mess with. ^_^**

**Your "man" comments had me laughing my head off.**

**And no comment, because I realize I give away too much in my responses and it kills some of the suspense. :)**

Running. Out. Of. Chapter titles!

But this is fitting, so it's fine.

Like I said, not a lot of time left for this story. The voting for the next one is up, so go look at it, if you haven't already, to prepare yourself.

DRAMA TIME.

**Question to my readers:** Hey, what would you guys think if I posted pics on deviantart of future stories? Like, with a live-model and then photoshop in like Gir or something (who would really be the main part of the picture, I think)? I've got a character I am currently developing (who would be of interest to you all if I decide to continue with her) who I've legitimately found someone who looks exactly like I envisioned her. Granted, these updates would be far and few between but still. As I cannot draw people for the life of me, I though that would be kind of funny/entertaining. But I'm not sure. So before I make an ass out of myself and ask her, what do you guys think of it?

And I updated on time today! Yaaay! I would've done it earlier, but, I've been painting my room today. Hopefully by Monday I can move back in. :)

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 36  
"Chaos"**

Zim glared down at the expanse of Swollen Eyeball members fighting with his army, trying to unscramble the signals he was getting from his arm.

He was trying to figure out if what he suspected was correct. But whatever Tak had done (as he knew well no one else could've done this; especially since his computer had picked up a SIR unit being the one to have hacked his security) was also effecting the signal of Dib's tracker. One second he was across the nation, with Membrane, the next he was on the field, heading towards the house. His eyes continued to flick between the battle field and the readouts but it was impossible to find anyone amongst the chaotic mess, even with his advanced sight.

A ringing vibration in his antennae made him pause, frustrated, reaching up and adjusting them so they were headphones and speaker, like all Irkens could do.

"**_Yes_**?" He hissed, eyes raking through the crowd.

An exasperated Skoodge answered, apparently too tired to notice Zim's frustration and recoil from it. "Empress Gaz has run from me, sir. Gir, Minnie-Moose and I can't seem to find her anywhere."

Zim froze, completely paralyzed. If he owned a heart-organ, he had no doubt it would be pounding in his chest, like all humans' did when they became afraid.

"Sir?" Skoodge said, apparently having asked some question he hadn't heard. "Your orders?"

He shook his head. "Keep looking for her, Skoodge. And contact me the moment you find her."

"Yes, sir!"

Zim's antennae jumped back into place, effectively ending the call. He gripped the railing of the roof of the house with such blind emotion it took him a few minutes to contain himself. Gaz was nowhere to be found in the middle of the most potentially disastrous rebellion move that could ever happen. They would not win, that was true. But if they got their hands on Gaz, a complete traitor to her planet in their eyes, and a girl who had used them to gain better ground to help the alien enslaving their race, then Zim had no doubt they wouldn't waste the chance to get revenge, even if it wouldn't make a difference for their cause.

But it would make a hell of a different to Zim if she got so much as one scratch on her.

But with his trackers on the grounds out of wack, what hope did he have of finding her? What if she was reckless enough to run into the midst of the-!

"Zim!"

He spun around, relief quickly calming his racing paranoia as he stepped away from the roof, towards her. "Gaz! Where have you been? Why did you run from Skoodge?"

"I had to find you," She insisted as she reached him, Zim gripping her arms tightly as he came to terms with the fact she was in one piece.

His brow rose. "Why? Do you not feel safe?"

Gaz's eyes narrowed but she shook it off with a furious shaking of her head. "No. But we have to find Dib. I know he's on the grounds and I need to find him."

Zim stared in disbelief. "How do you know?"

"I just do!" She insisted.

He eyed her a moment.

But in the end, Zim did not question her.

"Very well." He stated, less frantic and demanding. "I'll figure out a way to find him. But please, Gaz; Stay _inside_!"

To make his point, Zim gripped her arm, leading her back inside. Gaz reluctantly allowed this, probably only because of how desperately she wanted to find her brother. A fact Zim only partially understood. Dib was Gaz's brother, and from what he had gathered, their relationship was probably on a sour note right now. Gaz probably didn't want things to end badly with him and fix what damage that she could.

"How are we going to find him?" She questioned as the two quickly descended down the stairs.

"I said I'll figure something out!" He insisted. Then he made a contemplative face as he thought, carefully. "Most likely, Dib is going to find you. Whatever motivation is behind it, he's going to try and get into the house. But just because he and Tak got in the force-field doesn't mean he'll be able to get inside."

"Is it on lock-down or something?" Gaz questioned.

"I was going to put it under lock-down, but I won't." Zim paused at one of the windows. "Huh. Would you look at that."

"What?" She peered over his shoulder.

He pointed, moving aside to let her see. "The servants are trying to help the Swollen Eyeball."

Gaz snorted. "Apparently not everyone is spineless. You think your army can handle it?"

"Of course," He replied at once, as if the idea was preposterous. "Now come. Zim has a plan to lure your brother into finding us."

* * *

The fight was rather close to the castle. And with the servants running in and out, it wasn't hard for Tak and Dib to duck inside unnoticed.

Who knew were the former royalty of the house were. Who really _cared_ was more like it. There wasn't much time to think with all the noise of chaos outside. It was unnerving though, the realization of just how truly empty this castle was, when the doors shut behind them and all was silent.

"Creepy," Dib commented, leaning towards Tak subconsciously as he grimaced uncomfortably at their surroundings.

Tak snorted as his attitude, looking around as she stepped forward. "Even so, we've got to-."

The floor glowed as they stepped forward.

Dib stomped his foot like a child. "Damn it! _Again_?"

And then they were transported.

When Gaz saw them appear, she was relieved to see it wasn't someone else.

"I don't think that counts as 'luring'," Gaz informed him, standing in the indoor courtyard, beside Zim. "That's just forced moving."

"I think it counts." Zim grumbled as the light faded.

Tak seemed to recover first and tensed. Dib stared at Gaz, who stared back.

He reached a hand forward. "Gaz . . .!"

Zim stepped forward, his hands clapping together. "Right, well, let's get to this, shall we?"

Tak growled at him as MiMi rested on her shoulder, trotting off to the corner after her energy draining ordeal. "Very well."

"Good, then-!"

Then came the classic case of miscommunication.

While Zim meant, "Let's talk this out", Tak thought he meant, "Let's fight". Thus, she lunged at him, Gaz stepping away from the two as Tak slammed Zim into the floor.

"Gah, what are you _doing_?" Zim demanded. flipping her off of him with the stress of last word.

Tak landed hard, but got back to her feet, apparently unfazed. "Our last fight ended in a draw. I won't let that happen again."

Zim glared at her. "You're not even Irken anymore, are you? So why does your loss count matter?"

She let out a hiss of fury. "I will always remain Irken, no matter what I look like!"

And then the two were fighting again.

Dib and Gaz had gotten within a few feet of each other, Gaz watching with confusion and worry (for Zim) while Dib just kind of looked unnerved (for Tak's sake). When Gaz noticed how close she was though she turned, making Dib turn to look at her as well.

"Dib, can you get her to stop?" She questioned, glancing at the two again, moving a bit too fast for their eyes to keep up with. It seemed like Zim was just trying to avoid Tak, but by the way she stumbled every once in a while after Zim darted past her, the two couldn't be so sure.

"I . . . don't think so," He admitted, looking to her. "Gaz, I came here to talk to you."

Her brow rose, "You lead an army here just to talk to me?"

Dib waved a hand at the unimportance of the army outside. "The Swollen Eyeball is acting too late. It's a suicide mission. I just didn't object to it because it worked to my advantage."

Gaz was genuinely surprised. "You tricked your heroes?"

"They're nobodies heroes," He muttered, darkly. Then he shook off that mood, locking eyes with her. "I just need to know why, Gaz. Why would you agree to this? Why _now_? Your life with Zim was fine the way it was. Why did you have to do this to the Earth? No matter what anyone else says, I know you and you wouldn't do this just because someone pissed you off."

Gaz looked back at the two fighting Irkens (or half-Irken) before looking back at Dib. She decided that it just didn't matter anymore. Zim was safe now. Dib couldn't do anything about the Time-Limit, since it didn't exist anymore. Whether or not Dib would be supported, there wasn't anything he could do about it.

"Dib," she said, just heard about Tak's swearing in her foreign language and Zim responding in the same manner. "Zim was going to die."

Dib stared at her. There was a slamming sound as Tak landed a kick, slamming Zim into a pillar that somehow didn't crack.

"W-What?" He gasped out. "H-How is that possible? Wait," Dib's hand went to his forehead. "That day you stole my car?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "Irkens have something called a 'Time-Limit' that activates in their PAK's when they've been on a foreign planet for too long."

"And Zim's been here for 7 years," Dib groaned, his other hand going to his head. "And I'm a huge jerk of a brother for thinking you were a traitor just because Zim and you got bored with the planet! Ugh, geez, Gaz, I'm so sorry!"

She gave him a look of disbelief. "Why in the_ hell_ are _you_ apologizing?"

"Because I mean I expected you to go against Zim and the whole time you were just _worrying_ about him and-!"

"Dib!" Gaz interrupted, slapping her hand on the back of his head. He flinched away from her. "Grow a backbone, seriously! Since when did you get all lovey-dovey, romantic, sappy kind of guy?" Then she froze, her eyes slowly directing towards Tak, who was knocked away from Zim. She looked back at Dib, giving him a look of disbelief. "No. Really, Dib? You're kidding me, right?"

Her brother turned a furious shade of red, "I don't know what you're talking about?"

"_Tak_?" Gaz repeated, placing her hands on her hips. Then she made a contemplative face. "Well, I guess that was expected to happen if you guys have been together since I saw you at my wedding. Time makes the heart grow fonder, whether you expect it or not."

"It's not like that!" Dib insisted, his shoulders hunching uncomfortably.

Gaz rolled her eyes at his immaturity. Then her pocket seemed to weigh ten pounds and her hand went back to it, her face becoming nervous as she bit her lip. Dib's brow rose at the very un-Gaz-like expression and he reached a hand out, touching her shoulder.

"Gaz?" He questioned. "Is something wrong?"

Her hand curled into a fist, in her pocket, glaring at the floor. "Open your mouth, Dib."

His eyes widened in confusion, glancing around. Had she really just asked him that? "Um, what?"

Gaz's eyes locked with his stunned ones. "I said open. _Your mouth_."

"Uh," Dib hesitantly did so, "W-Why?"

Her eyes darted to Zim and Tak, completely distracted. In a movement too quick for Dib to realize what had happened, Gaz had flung something in his mouth. It went directly into his throat, making him gag and try to cough it out. But Gaz's hand went to his mouth and the other to the back of his head, forcing his lips shut. He had no choice but to swallow or choke, so he did, not quite sure what had happened. When she saw his throat constrict she forced his mouth open by squeezing the sides of his jaw. Despite Dib's coughs and indistinguishable protests, Gaz took her time peering around to ensure Dib had swallowed what she'd forced down his throat.

"Good," She said, with finality, releasing him.

Before Dib could demand an explanation for his possible murder, Gaz had him in an incredibly tight hug.

"I don't care if you like a psychopathic, inhuman bitch, Dib." She informed him, quietly. "I _married_ someone whose two out of three of those things. After what I did . . . _using_ you like I did, Dib . . . I want you to be happy. Forever."

Dib couldn't help but hug his sister back, the very Dib-like brotherly emotion taking over. "I want you to be happy too, Gaz."

"I'm _going_ to see you again, Dib." She insisted, pulling back to look him in the eye seriously. "You're my brother."

"I don't see how, Gaz," Dib said, frowning. "I mean, I'm not saying I don't want to, but, as far as Zim's concerned, I'm a threat to you."

"Okay, you," She pointed, her other hand on her hip. "Do not deal with Zim. Ever. _I_ do. So don't ever worry about what Zim's going to do unless you already have me against you."

Dib laughed uncomfortably, his hand going to his neck. "Good to know."

Another loud bang interrupted them. They turned to see Zim had finally successfully restrained Tak, with his PAK appendages. Neither of them looked particularly hurt, but Tak did look a bit disheveled, struggling furiously now.

"Stop that!" Zim insisted, straightening his crooked antennae with an unhappy frown.

Gaz laughed at this. She stopped, clearing her throat when she saw Dib's expression of fear. MiMi stiffly made her way over to Dib, growling pitifully weakly as she shoved his ankles towards where Tak was. A silent demand he make Zim let her master go.

"Gaz," Dib said quietly, gesturing to them. "Could you . . .?"

She nodded, "Zim!"

He looked towards her, eyes wide with curiosity as his eyes flicked between her and her sibling. "Are you two done?"

Gaz shook her head. "No. But I think Dib would appreciate it if you let Tak down."

"She keeps attacking me!" Zim insisted, and then his brow rose, eying Dib with contained but poorly disguised loathing. "And why does he care so much about her well-being anyways?"

"Because," Tak insisted, frustrated. "_Sleveka ton duex la sahlm_!"*

Dib looked to Gaz. "Do you get irritated when they speak in Irken too?" Then he noticed her expression; wide-eyed. He threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "Am I the only one that has no idea what she just said?"

True, Gaz had no idea the exact context of what Tak had said. But she did recognize that single word, one that Zim had called her for quite a while. She was genuinely surprised Dib did not recognize the word as well. But she wasn't exactly going to tell him if he was too stupid to realize it.

"_Sahlm?_" Zim questioned, a brow rising in disbelief. "_Dib_?"

"Yes," She growled, jerking her arms. "Now let me go!"

"Will you stop attacking me if I do?"

"Fine!" Tak snapped. "Just put me down you sorry excuse for an Irken!"

Zim growled at her, but did so, backing off. Dib immediately darted over to her, uncomfortably, MiMi trailing after him. Zim went over to Gaz's side, the two rulers of the world eying the incredibly strange couple with disbelief.

"Are you okay?" He questioned as MiMi leaped onto Tak's shoulder, Dib's hand on her other.

She waved his hand off, making a face of disgust at the touch. "I'm fine. I'm not quite as delicate as you continue to think I am. Just because I look like a fragile human female doesn't mean I really am as pitiful as your kind!"

Gaz leaned towards Zim as the two continued to bicker, speaking quietly and unnoticed. "What did she say?"

"Dib is apparently her candidate for a sahlm." Zim replied. "Should we leave them alone?"

"No," She snapped, crossing her arms. "This is too entertaining."

Zim chuckled, Gaz ignoring that in favor of watching the two interact. It very much reminded her of how she and Zim used to talk to one another, arguing incessantly.

. . . Okay how they _still_ talked to one another.

The door burst open, startling the four of them entirely.*

Before Gaz could even turn around, Zim was in front of her, a shield in front of him, his hands out to his sides in a protective manner. Gaz could feel him growling and automatically tensed, uneasy and wary. She cursed the fact that she was somewhat sore from her training with the army the previous day, in which she had been successfully attacked. At the time Gaz had been pleased but now she was cursing that blow to the pits of Hell, along with the soldier who had done it.

"It's over, alien scum!" A man shouted.

Zim's growl only heightened, filling the room into something similar to a snarl. Gaz doubted he really cared that they had managed to find him, without the use of his teleportation device. To everyone else, Zim probably sounded pissed, which he was, but she Gaz was able to recognize the frustration dominant in his snarl. Her suspicions were also fueled by his positioning, which kept her entirely out of the room. The only reason he was acting like this was because she was here, otherwise, he'd be completely at ease.

Zim was worried about her getting hurt in the fight that was about to break out any second now.

"Dib?" Someone questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"He's submitted to his sister!" Someone else insisted, angrily. "I knew we shouldn't have brought him here!"

"We need Tak and MiMi, otherwise, we wouldn't have," Another muttered.

The sound of a gun cocking, training on Dib and Tak, who she saw backing up warily, made Gaz's hand flare up in irritation, despite the fact she still wore her necklace. Her eyes squeezed shut as she fought for control over herself for a moment until they snapped open, realizing she really didn't need to control her powers right now.

"Your security has been shut down." An agent informed Zim, smugly. "No one to help you but yourself and the rest of these traitors!"

"E_nough_," Gaz snapped, stepping around Zim, but remaining next to him. Immediately Zim's hands curled into fists, clearly fighting the urge to make her hide behind him again.

She finally got a clear view of the situation, since her vision wasn't obscured by her husband standing in the way. There were over a dozen or so agents, which did outnumber them 3 to 1, at the very least. Nothing they couldn't handle, but they were also armed while Dib and Zim were (technically, excluding heightened abilities from the two girls) the only ones with weapons. Gaz was a bit weary, even if she refused to look like she was, and who knew what sort of state Tak was in after fighting with Zim. Could she handle another match?

It looked like she was going to have to.

"Typical human reaction," Said Irken female growled, tensing and repositioning herself. "Refusing to listen to the explanation before attacking."

"We've heard enough from the three of you," The man said, gesturing to the only human-looking people in the room, excluding Zim from the self-incriminated 'group of liars'. "The Swollen Eyeball will not be manipulated any longer."

Dib looked shocked. And, oddly enough, even slightly hurt. He had figured it might come to this eventually. He just hadn't prepared himself for it. "Wait, you guys don't understand-!"

"Oh we understand perfectly, Dib. By the way, we're revoking you of your membership."

The Membrane child stared, completely stunned. Tak's eyes narrowed at his reaction, feeling fury shoot through her veins. On her shoulder, MiMi gained some drive from her master's emotions, preparing herself to attack.

Gaz, too, was pissed off to see her brother so poorly treated. She rolled her eyes, lifting her hands. "Alright, enough small talk: You've got one chance. Submit or be killed."

"We could say the same for-!"

She didn't give them a chance to finish their 'oh-so-clever' comeback. Her hands flared just as Zim (reluctantly, and still frustrated) deactived the force-field. The crowd leaped away from the fuchsia flames that scorched their jackets, nearly burning them. As soon as the light evaporated, groups of about three people were formed, each finding themselves face-to-face with one of the four beings.

Gaz's group found themselves surrounded by fire again, trapping them inside. However, they'd come armed with water guns, and were able to put her fire out. But it took time and smoke appeared afterwards, swamping them. They coughed, waving at it, trying to see through the fog and taking out their more dangerous weapons, trying to find Gaz. However they only found that just as it was beginning to thin, more flames appeared, closer this time, forcing the three into tighter ranks as they tried to figure out where the little female was.

Tak's group was getting attacked by both MiMi, who was doing what she could in her drained state, and Tak. It was very clear who was winning though, as Tak had many tricks up her sleeves that their training hadn't prepared them for. However it wasn't particularly easy, as Zim had taken a lot out of her. She scolded herself for acting so brashly, but her pride had gotten the better of her. And the Swollen Eyeball was very persistent in getting up, no matter how many times that she knocked them down or slammed them into something. She cursed them for their padded armor, but was glad herself when one of them managed a blow on her and she didn't feel it in the least. Tak allowed a smirk as she dropped her attacker to the ground before moving on to the next, who was just running up behind her.

Dib himself was focusing more on dodging then attacking, a bit flustered. Thankfully he was only up against two people, as his would've been four, if they hadn't divided up to get reinforcements for Zim's group. Despite the fact he really just did not want to fight these people he had considered his friends, Dib also knew how much more experience they had in their years of field-work, having time to perfect their fighting techniques while Dib himself was a bit out of practice. He had a feeling if he attempted an attack, he'd be dropped in an instant, so he was riding on his endurance overpowering theirs and attacking when they were seriously tuckered out.

Zim's group was made of, not surprisingly, about nine people. It was hard to count with his adrenaline and instinct kicking in. His red eyes were filled with fiery hatred, the smoke making a burning, rotten smell in the room as fresh flames continued to appear from the corner of his eyes. To express how much the invader hated these people at the moment would be impossible. But, to put it incredibly simply, Zim absolutely loathed them. He wished very profusely Gaz had gone with Invader Skoodge, as his group would be an immensely bigger fight, since the whole of the party would be attacking him, but at least he wouldn't be this distracted and she would be safe. But his instincts were raging with the urge to fight these intruders and the much stronger desire to protect Gaz. His PAK appendages sprouted from his back, sparking behind him dangerously. Weapons trained on him, the whine of their chargers making Zim growl in reply.

The indoor courtyard offered plenty of room for the fight to occur and made quite the battle-grounds, actually. Yet despite the immense amount of room, there was a mingling of the battles.

Dib's back bumped against someone else's, making him leap away at once, as did the other person, until he saw the person also backing off was Tak. They stared at each other a moment until looking over the others shoulder, darting past each other to disarm the person about to sneak up on the other. Dib felt a bit of a pang in his gut for attacking until he realized Tak had done the same and noticed just how worn out she seemed, despite her furious facade. But anger only allowed for so much fuel, especially in this kind of fight. If this wasn't ended soon, she'd burn out.

"Need some help?" He said, sarcastically, gesturing to the agent he'd knocked away.

Tak offered him a wry smirk. "Couldn't hurt."

And so the two fought together, making their separate battles considerably easier. Agents began dropping left and right from their double-attacks, the two of them working as a pair flawlessly. MiMi was staggering around, still landing blows when she could, but it was clear the poor thing was completely drained. She rammed herself into the ribs of an agent, who dropped painfully, before getting off of him and sinking down in a corner, her little body expanding and retracting harshly and she tried to regain her 'breath'.

Meanwhile, Gaz was easily maneuvering through her own flames, using them to mask herself as she continued to dart past her captive opponents, landing blows on them sneakily, wearing them down rather than beating them senseless. It was easier on her and, truth be told, more entertaining. They continued to try and put out her fire, but that only caused more smoke, which was beginning to suffocate them as they coughed and wheezed, continuing to look for her wildly and unsuccessfully.

Gaz had two rings of fire around them; one holding the Swollen Eyeball inside, and another holding her, keeping anyone outside from intruding and disguising herself better. It was also a bit more intimidating and the more panicked they were, the quicker they would breath and the quicker they would pass out from suffocation. She wasn't going to kill them, because she didn't really want to (since Dib was so sensitive about it), but she wasn't going to be particularly nice to them either, since they had upset Dib.

She took a moment to glance over at her companions, to see how they were doing, confident she remained in cover, but enhancing her fire around herself just in case. Tak and Dib seemed to be nearly finished, only two people left. But they were probably senior agents, as they were putting up a considerably difficult fight, working together just like the younger couple was. But it was clear that Tak and Dib were probably going to win, as the Swollen Eyeball agents were sweating profusely and looked tired as they panted heavily while fighting.

Zim was throwing people into each other, a bit more violent then usual, looking absolutely pissed off as he mercilessly attacked, showing none of the restraint he normally showed when fighting other humans, like when he was helping her train the army. They were dropping considerably quicker around him, but were continuing to try to shoot at him from the floor. Inaccurately, with no hope of actually hitting him, but it was enough to be annoying and slightly distracting.

That was when Gaz heard a snap of a weapon.

She dropped instinctively to the floor, something clipping her shoulder. She hit the ground hard, on her side, the impact crippling her a bit as she became considerably winded, the ring separating her and them evaporating. The outer ring, keeping others out, was still up though, barricading them and her inside the makeshift arena. But she couldn't find the control in her breathless body to either dissolve the other ring or make another one, and so Gaz was left straining for air on her side, glaring furiously up at the approaching agents when she could find the focus to.

"Well, well," one of the mocked, all of their weapons at their sides, relaxed, since it was clear she was out of play, for the moment. "Look what we've got here."

They all began loosely aiming their weapons at her, not really needing to focus since she was so close to them. "Burnt scraps."

Gaz found the focus and oxygen to set her hand ablaze, but it was squirted with a water gun, extinguishing it. The proximity of the smoke that close to her face made her gag, losing what little breath she had and making her start over again.

She closed her eyes, hearing the whine of the weaponry and wondering how she was going to die. She was completely vulnerable and while it was completely infuriating, a strange, shaky calm began to fill her as she accepted her demise. Everyone was busy fighting their own battles, and she had trapped herself inside her own fire.

No one was going to save her.

_YOU. WILL NOT. DIE! And who said you needed saving anyways?_

Gaz's eyes snapped open at the strong thought, looking up at the weaponry as an idea came to mind.

_Maybe if I can burn their weapons . . _. She thought, optimistically.

But . . . did she have that kind of energy to (literally) burn?

"Aw, look at this," One of them bent down, removing her necklace, as if just begging her to do something. "She still wears that necklace Membrane gave her. Kind of funny, since she stabbed her dad in the back."

She bared her teeth, weakly.

_Alright, that's it!_

Closing her eyes tightly and gritting her teeth, Gaz decided she'd just have to find out.

No way in hell was she going out without a fight.

Zim's antennae shot up as the sound of a gun going off was heard just before the room's heat jumped, along with Gaz's flames, turning into an explosion that rocked the room. His eyes were wide as everyone stared, completely off-guard and irrationally terrified.

"GAZ!" Dib shrieked, staring in horror at the flames that were consuming everything in that corner of the room.

Other agents began shouting the names of the ones that had gone after Gaz, but it was as if Zim could not hear them. He was even unaware of the water everyone with water guns (the few, still fighting agents) tried to extinguish the fire without success. Smoke came off, but it only grew, as if angered by the attempt to diminish its power.

Zim was completely petrified for a moment before another flare of heat snapped him out of it.

He darted forward, reminding himself to shield just before entering the mass of fire. It was so much worse on the inside then it appeared on the outside. Flames were everywhere, all Gaz's color, with no sign of anything else. Like the densest of fog, except so much more terrifying and incredibly hotter. But the heat hardly bothered Zim, who was used to much more unfriendly temperatures then this. He continued to maneuver through until he stumbled over something that made him trip. His hands slammed down before his face did, letting him catch himself as he looked back to see what had tripped him.

It was an agent, whose arms were above his head as he lay on the floor, curled into himself, a melted mess of metal beside him, probably something that had once been a gun. Possibly the one that had shot at Gaz. He growled at the thought until he heard the man screaming, his brow rising. But the only reason Zim heard it through the roar of flames was because he was next to him. Tuning his vision more carefully, Zim heard many people screaming. Maybe three or four.

And they were all centered around to what, according to his scanners, was the hottest spot of the entire mass of flames.

Zim darted forward, crawling, until he felt his hand grip hold of something.

Upon looking at Gaz, who was curled up in a ball herself, shaking rather badly, Zim was only relieved of one thing. Removing his large jacket, he could only think of one thing as he placed it on her, tying it at the waist tightly to cover her completely.

_Thank Irk my clothes are fire-proof,_ He thought to himself, bundling her onto his lap and holding her close to him.

It was just too bad that _hers_ weren't.

Meanwhile, oblivious of Zim's presence, Gaz was reliving that memory of her nightmare, where she had lost her powers, completely out of her own control. She felt _exactly_ that way now. Despite how hard she was trying to reign them in, they refused, as if relishing in the freedom and her will to win. It was really the conflicting motivations that were sending her into a spiraling, energy sapping downfall. Her powers couldn't tell what she wanted, and so were acting on her instincts; to protect and to win.

"Gaz," Zim said, just over the crack and snap of the fire around them, but gently as he squeezed her, penetrating through her mess of uncontrollable fear and conflict. "It's okay. Calm down."

He could just see her necklace, the skull laying shiny and unaffected next to where she had just been. He wondered how it had been removed, but didn't think much of it as he felt the heat begin to retract, if only just slightly.

"Gaz," Zim repeated, bending his head down to be closer to hers. He could see her eyes squeezed tightly shut in her shivering body, of which was incredibly warm; much higher then any fever could ever be. "Please. You're going to hurt yourself. You beat them. You won. They're all cowering like the little idiot dirt-monkeys that they are."

She tensed further, curling in towards him. Zim snatched her necklace, careful not to jostle her as she forced her powers back. He draped the necklace around her neck and there was a much more noticeable drop in the flames at the extra help. But she did not relax. If anything, Gaz strained harder to control herself, making Zim hold her tighter against him, wishing her could help her somehow. But all he could do was wait for her to fix her own problem.

Dib and Tak had dropped their two opponents, Tak deciding to use the distraction while she could. She was not worried about Zim. Invaders were trained to handle much more then a little heat, no matter how impressive Gaz's display was. Dib was clearly terrified for his sister though, as he probably should be. But they dropped the two agents, unnoticed by the others still trying to put out the fire that was beginning to dim now, which probably had nothing to do with them. Tak and Dib used the break to their advantage as the agents backed off considerably, weapons trained on the thinning smoke and flames.

Dib's jaw dropped, paling. Even Tak looked stunned.

Zim was sitting on his legs, Gaz on his lap, his large jacket over her as he held her. His eyes opened, formerly closed as he relaxed his hold on her slightly, to look down at her. Gaz was unconscious and considerably pale, unaware she dawned nothing but a red coat.

Before he could stop himself, Dib darted over, despite Tak's attempt to grab him and hold him back. He skidded to a stop in front of Zim, dropping to his knees in the same movement. In a moment Tak was next to them, unable to just stand back and not follow. Although it was clear she was a bit frustrated at having to do so, standing in front of the three of them, eying the Swollen Eyeball warningly.

"Gaz?" Dib demanded, touching his sister's colorless face. "Gaz, wake up! Please!"

Zim's eyes flickered to Dib a moment, and then Tak. A moment later he growled, his attention turning towards the remaining Swollen Eyeball members, each with their weapons trained on the three of them. His eyes flashed dangerously, making everyone aim just a bit more precisely.

"Hold her," Zim ordered, his voice laced with black fury. He handed her over gently but quickly to Dib, who gladly took his sister in his arms.

Dib looked up as Zim stood next to Tak. He saw her glance at him, but Zim offered her none of the same look. Dib's grip on Gaz tightened as he watched the two Irkens prepare themselves to fight, noticing the similarities now that they were side-by-side.

"_I hate you_," She muttered, in Irken, looking at him from the corner of her eyes. "_But she's his sister_."

"_And I hate you as well_," Zim replied, in the same tone and language, locking gazes with her. "_But he's her brother._"

They then tensed before leaping up, at the same time, in perfect unison, attacking together as only two Irkens could. Dib watched with awe, despite himself and the situation he was in, watching Tak mainly as she moved like she was trained to move in a paired fight. He hadn't seen her when she was fighting with him, but he wished he had. Tak made it look like a dance instead of a battle, stunning him.

Within the minute, decimating the amount of time it had taken for him and her to take down someone together, the two had taken down the last of the stragglers, both panting a bit heavily.

Immediately though, Zim's eyes darted back to Gaz as he rushed back and Tak walked at a much more leisurely, worn pace, picking up the fallen MiMi on her way over.

Dib returned Gaz to Zim, despite his normal attitude to keep his sister away from his arch-nemesis.

_Brother-in-law_, Dib reminded himself. And then he nearly smirked, looking up at Zim's worried face as he held his sister. _Well, really; What's the difference?_

"Is she going to be okay?" Dib asked as the fear kicked back in.

Zim brushed his hand across Gaz's face in a tender movement that Dib ignored. He heard the sound of scanners, even if he did not see the test and waited. Tak sat down next to Dib, leaning heavily on his shoulder, clearly every bit as tired as Dib was. He couldn't help himself by gripping her to him, making her squeak and Zim's eyes flash up, a brow rising at their position, but saying nothing as he looked back at Gaz, choosing to ignore it. Tak herself gave Dib a questioning look, but he refused to look at her for fear of being embarrassed. Dib couldn't really help himself when he'd hugged her. He just needed to hold something right now, and she was obviously the best option.

He wasn't exactly going to hug _Zim_, now was he?

Finally a conclusive-sounding beep made Zim sigh with relief, making Dib relax his hold on Tak, his arms remaining loosely on her shoulder.

"She'll be fine," Zim replied. "She should wake up soon."

They waited a few seconds, in silence.

Tak gave Zim a look.**

He glared at her in response. "I didn't say _immediately_. I said _soon_."

Mercifully (thought unintentionally), Gaz's eyes flickered open then, looking around before drifting shut again. They then snapped open, terror evident on her face. Zim shushed her soothingly, adjusting her so she was sitting up a bit more.

"Ssh, Gaz," He said, gently, smiling at her, the relief still very clear on his face. "You're fine. The fires out and the Swollen Eyeball agents are all down for the count."

Gaz sat up more, Zim helping her, her hand, partially drowning in the sleeve of his jacket, going to her head. However she noticed the sleeve immediately, looking down at herself. Slowly, she became aware of her predicament and the fact she had burned her clothes off.

"I covered you before your flames died out," Zim murmured reassuringly in her ear, too quiet for even Dib or Tak to hear. There was a bit of a smirk to his extra statement though, one she might've hit him for, had she had the energy. "Zim is still the only one who knows what you look like naked."

Gaz nodded, making Dib's brow rose, wondering what it was Zim had said but deciding it didn't matter. "You okay, Gaz?"

"Tired," She said, at once. "Sore. Really warm, but otherwise fine."

"It's to be expected," Zim replied, clearly trying to make her as 'at-ease' as possible, to prevent another freak-out. "You'll have to rest for a few days and I'll run a few test to ensure your recovery goes unhindered."

She yawned, nodding, closing her eyes and leaning against his chest and replying with a very un-Gaz-like, "Kay."

The three of them shared looks of surprise mingled with confusion before they all just shook it off, deciding she was probably just off from drowsiness.

"You can rest now, if you'd like," Zim informed her, noting her eyes twitch, no doubt in a vain effort to try and keep herself awake. "Zim will take you to our quarters so that you can sleep."

Gaz sighed, shaking her head and lifting it, though with a considerable effort that made Zim scowl. "No, I'm fine. But I do need to put clothes on. I'm not walking around like this."

Dib smiled at her. "Come on, Gaz. Don't be so stubborn. You need to relax."

She glared at him, a glare only a sibling could accomplish. "I can do what I like!"

"Gaz-!"

A call on Zim's arm made them stop. He shifted Gaz, holding up his arm as he answered.

"Yes?"

"We've got the situation under control now, sir." Skoodge's voice informed him. "All of the Swollen Eyeball have been captured and restrained. We're awaiting your orders on what to do with the prisoners."

"Thank you for the update, Invader Skoodge." Zim said. "I'll be down within the hour to deal with them. In the meantime, I need a team of 17 up in the indoor courtyard, to take care of a few stragglers that I encountered. Until I come address you, though, just tie them together and destroy their weapons. Leave them in the field and shock them every time any of them move or talk."

"Consider it done, sir. Invader Skoodge, out!"

Zim ended the call without a response, standing, picking up Gaz while doing so. Dib and Tak stood as well, Tak holding MiMi in her arms, since the poor thing didn't even have the energy to balance herself on her master's shoulder. She truly was a pitiful sight, eyes drooped as she recharged. Tak stroked her gently, Dib shoving his hands in his pockets. All in all, they were a rather tired-looking sight, save Zim, who looked completely composed now that Gaz was out of immediate danger.

He turned to the two of them. "I'll take you two back to the door. You'll have to wait downstairs. The remaining security in that wing won't accept you into the area."

Dib nodded, reluctantly, since he wasn't about to argue with Zim about how Irken technology worked. However, Tak knew well that thanks to her changes, it actually would accept them. But she also knew that Zim was just trying to get rid of them, to have some time alone with his mate. In a platonic way though of course, since it was clear neither of them were up for _that_ kind of alone time at the moment.

"Of course," Tak agreed.

Zim shot her a grateful look, unnoticed to Dib, before turning and leading them downstairs. They did end up passing the soldiers, who nearly attacked Dib and Tak, but Zim informed them they weren't to be touched and that they were guests of himself and Gaz, and to let Skoodge know that as well. A few soldiers broke off then, to lead the two downstairs for Zim while the Irken Emperor turned to walk the other way, to where there room was located.

"You ditched my brother?" Gaz noted, waking up from a slight slip into unconsciousness, noting the absence of the pair.

Zim snickered, pleased with himself. "I hardly wanted that conversation with your brother about how I was going to help dress you and that he and Tak should wait outside."

"Good point," She mumbled, curling into him again.

There was a moment of content silence. Then Zim instinctually looked down, to see Gaz biting her lip nervously, looking off at their surroundings thoughtfully.

His brow rose, shifting her closer to him in his arms, concern flooding him. "Gaz? What is it?"

Her eyes looked up to his. For once, he saw insecurity there, but as to the reason behind it, Zim could not tell.

"My . . . powers," She muttered, looking down at her hands, which were fidgeting on her stomach. "They . . . I don't think I really . . ."

"You didn't what?" Zim pressed as they passed the force-field leading to the private side of the castle. "Gaz, please, you know how much Zim hates to be left in the dark. What is it you are trying to say?"

She sighed, leaning her head against his chest. "I don't think I got control of my powers. I think I finally burned them out."

* * *

*Originally, everything after this did not exist. Just a bit of insight. But now I love this fight immensely, so I am glad I changed my original planning.

**You notice how in movies and stuff (and my stories, I'll admit) they always wake up immediately after saying stuff like that? I just wanted to make things a bit more IZ-style and make Gaz not wake up immediately.

This chapter. Is freaking. LONG.

But it's one of the last, so, yeah. I ended it here because I felt like if I wrote anymore, I would fry your precious little brains.

Ugh, I am sore from horseback riding.

Never. Again.

. . .

Okay maybe _a few_ more times. It WAS an incredibly amazing hiking trail and I got the hang of it by the end, so, yeah.

And is it possible Gaz lost her powers?

A 3-saga story, soon to be ended. My most popular story, in which has had the biggest reaction of a story I've ever written . . . SOON TO BE ENDED! (ginormous sob)

*sniffle* Okay. *sniffle* I'm done.

Till *sniffle* n-next time!

**_WAAAAAAAAA!_**


	37. Resolutions

I am legit tearing up as I write this. You guys might think I'm such a pansy, but you guys really have no idea how uplifted I have gotten not only because of the reviews of this story, but the overall reaction; the fact I have people shipping my story. Posting it on websites and telling people nationwide how awesome it is and what not (modesty), it has seriously been the most amazing experience of my life. To everyone who reads this story, regardless of if you've reviewed or I've responded to you or not, you seriously have made my world and are truly the reasons I pushed through to get these chapters up so quickly and make them as best as I possibly could, re-reading them every time before I post them, reading each and every one of these reviews . . . it's just been freaking amazing!

But enough of my ramblings of appreciation! It's story time!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 37  
"Resolutions: These Final Moments"**

Zim's eyes widened.

Was that . . . Was that even possible?

As the possibilities raced through his head, Gaz looked up, to see his face contorted in a calculated expression, like always when Zim was working or thinking of something. She waited, patiently, but nervously. Gaz knew well it was possible that she had finally burnt them out. Never before had she used them like she had back in that room, so it was definitely a possibility. And Zim _had_ always said that she'd probably lose them eventually, it had just taken a while. 2 years was a long time, sure, but still. She had never pushed them that far. Not even back in the arena on Irk.

Or maybe the arena had placed her on the edge, and she hadn't given herself enough time to recover, what with using them during army training, when she had defended herself and tried (succeeded) to melt the weapons and bullet that had been fired at her, it had simply broken the barriers and had used up the rest of her powers. It seemed Zim was thinking along those same lines as a solemn expression appeared on his face as he looked down at her, nodding.

"It's quite likely," He told her, opening the door with his PAK appendages. "I'll do a full scan later, but it is very possible you've finally burned them out of your system."

"Cool," She said pleasantly, as he set her down on the bed.

Zim's brow rose as he retrieved clothing for her. He had honestly expected to her to be disappointed, since she had sort of grown an attachment to her powers.

Gaz smirked at him. "I've got the last of Iggins out of me now."

Well. He certainly hadn't thought of it _that_ way.

At once he smirked in relief, placing the clothes next to her on the bed, bending over to kiss her hungrily, possessively, his tongue intertwining with hers. Gaz found energy to respond as she laughed, doing odd things to Zim's body. But he ignored those urges, pulling away with a smile, kissing her on the forehead.

"That is certainly one way to look at it," He said, giving her another peck on the mouth. Then he moved, gesturing to the clothes. "Alright, let's get you dressed."

"And you're positive nobody else saw me naked?" Gaz pressed, eying him cautiously. Sure, Gaz had no insecurity problems about her body, but that didn't mean she was going to go around flaunting herself in front of other people. And she was definitely not comfortable with the idea someone might have seen something, if not everything, without her permission. It kind of pissed her off, really.

Zim smiled at her reassuringly. "Not a soul. And if they did, I will ensure I have their eyes ripped out of their heads and have their heads bashed in until they forget about it. And it'll be easy to tell, as they will be the ones staring at you like you're a goddess."

Gaz rolled her eyes, beginning to unfasten the jacket. "You're so-."

"Truthful?" Zim interrupted, smirking at her with narrowed eyes, giving him a slightly evil, suggestive look. "Amazing?"

"I was going to say 'obnoxious', but that works too." She joked lightly, smirking at his pout.

"Let's just get you dressed." He muttered, scowling at the pile of clothes as she laughed.

* * *

Dib stood uncomfortably on the steps, looking down at his shifting feet as he felt many glares on him. He was very glad his father had been left at the underground base, with the few members of the Swollen Eyeball who were unable or just did not want to come. After all, even at the time, it was very possibly a suicide mission. They weren't going to _force_ anyone to come just so they could have more man-power.

Tak completely ignored the looks, focusing on MiMi as she rested, pitying the poor thing like a concerned mother. She sat down on the steps of the place, refusing to have enough respect for the Swollen Eyeball to stand and eye them like Dib was (not), as she waited for Zim and Gaz to come down. After a few minutes of Dib shuffling beside her though, she became annoyed and grabbed his hand, jerking him down and forcing him to sit.

He did, in a rather surprised, ungraceful movement. She let go of his hand, placing it back on MiMi.

"You were annoying me," She informed him, not looking up from her precious SIR unit.

Dib smiled weakly. "Sorry."

Tak just rolled her eyes, ignoring him again, now that he wasn't acting to so stupidly. His fingers were fidgeting in his lap, sure, but at least it wasn't as noticeable.

Then Dib coughed and his fist pounded against his chest, to clear it.

Tak's brow rose as she looked at him. "Is the smoke finally getting to you?"

Dib shook his head, coughing a few more times before answering her, his face a bit red from the momentary lack of oxygen. "No, I think it was whatever Gaz shoved down my throat while you and Zim were fighting."

This startled her entirely. "She . . . She force-fed you something? And you don't even know what it is?"

He shook his head, shrugging. "Well, I figure she'll tell me eventually. And I doubt Gaz is trying to kill me. It was probably just some sort of thing to make me less stupid or something." He joked, smiling at the sky. "She would do that."

Tak's eyes narrowed, looking away. She murmured, to herself, too quietly for Dib to hear, "I'm not so sure . . ."

About twenty minutes later, the doors open, Zim still carrying Gaz. The two stood as he approached them, stopping beside them.

"I am going to kill them," Zim informed them, bluntly.

Dib's eyes widened. "You can't kill them!"

Zim's brow rose. "Why not? They are a nuisance. They will only continue to cause havoc where havoc is not necessary. In this new Earth, the Swollen Eyeball is no longer necessary."

Dib shook his head, frantically. "That's not the point! Zim, I know these people. I can't just let you kill them!"

"Then what do you propose I do, Dib-monkey?" Zim demanded, glaring at him.

Dib hesitated, looking at Gaz instead. "Do you mind, Gaz?"

Zim growled, but Gaz ignored this, sighing and nodding. "I'll find out later anyways. Put me down."

Reluctantly, Zim placed her down on the steps. Tak, figuring that she too was not invited, sat down next to her.

Besides. She wanted to talk to Gaz anyways.

The two boys walked a ways away from the two females, down the steps, walking towards where the Swollen Eyeball were tied together in groups of about six per bundle. Gaz watched them, not particularly interested but lacking something else to do.

Tak cleared her throat then, making Gaz's eyes shift to the female beside her.

"Dib says you made him swallow something you put down his throat." She informed her, getting right to the point. Her eyes narrowed. "What was it?"

Gaz made a face, debating on whether or not she should tell her. So she changed the subject. "How long are you going to live, Tak?"

Tak's own expression contorted into one of disbelief. "Why does it matter? And you didn't answer my question!"

"Answer mine and I'll answer yours," Gaz retorted, eyes darting to the boys and then back. "And keep your voice down. I don't want them to hear."

Tak's brow rose, but she complied. "I'm going to live my lifespan of an Irken. So, effectively, since I'm not in the army anymore or doing anything dangerous anymore, I'm immortal."

Gaz nodded. "Good . . . That's good."

"Now answer my question," Tak insisted, glaring at her. "What did you give him?"

She smiled down at her hands. "You're familiar with the Pill, correct?"

Tak's eyes shot open. "But . . . That's impossible, not to mention incredibly dangerous! And you don't have that kind of access to Irken technology!"

"_I_ don't." Gaz agreed, gesturing to Zim. "But he does. He designed a formula specifically for humans and they sent two; standard protocol."

"I know why they sent two!" Tak hissed, looking completely thrown. "But what about the side-effects this could potentially have on Dib? If something happens, I'm not able to help anymore!"

"There was a mistake in the Pill," Gaz informed her, quietly, keeping her eyes on the boys as they two seemed to be arguing. "It conforms easier to the male human body and gave me pains that Zim found a way to get rid of. But the point is-."

"It would cooperate with Dib," Tak breathed, looking down at MiMi, who was looking up at her master with matching surprise. "He'd . . . He'd be okay . . ."

This was a miracle to her at the moment. Weeks of wracking through her brain to try and figure out a way to help Dib sustain his life. She had started to come to the conclusion she was probably going to need Dr. Membrane's help (gag) but now that Gaz had found this . . . very _illegal_ solution, she didn't have to worry about it anymore.

Gaz was appropriately baffled when the female beside her suddenly had her in a hug, making Gaz completely stiffen and freeze, eyes wide with shock. She looked down at the girl, who was hugging her with her eyes closed, her face unreadable.

"Thank you," Tak stated, very quietly, reluctance but sincere gratitude in her voice.

Uncomfortably, Gaz gave her a little pat on the back, struggling to keep her face from looking disgusted, so as to avoid Tak being insulted. After all, they were probably going to end up as in-laws eventually. Tak released her, her face still serene and expressionless.

Gaz have her a warning look then, all seriousness showing into her expression. "I know Dib likes you and that you want him to be your _salhm_. But I'm not going to let you hurt my brother, Tak. The reason I stole that extra Pill and force-fed it down my brother's throat is so I wouldn't have to deal with his death. And I'll keep doing it. I know Zim will figure it out eventually, but I'll deal with that when the time comes." Gaz pointed a slender, sharp finger at her. "If you tell Zim, or anyone else besides Dib, what I did, I will hunt you down and kill you. Is that understood?"

Tak's brow rose, but she nodded. "I understand. When are you going to tell Dib?"

"You can, if you want to." Gaz offered, shrugging. "After all, you and Dib are going to be . . . eh . . . yeah."

_Well_, Gaz thought, wanting to smack herself for her words. _Now I know how Dib feels when addressing mine and Zim's relationship._

Tak nodded thoughtfully, looking out at the two still bickering boys. "Yes . . . I suppose that would be best for everyone."

"A good way to start off a relationship," Gaz commented, casually, smirking. "Telling your significant other that their sister made them immortal and you're going to be stuck together forever."

Tak snorted, nodding. "An interesting way, at the very least. But don't you think he'll ask you after a while?"

Gaz shook her head, glancing at her brother with a hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Probably not. Dib knows by now that if I don't offer an explanation to him, he isn't going to get one."

Tak scowled down at her lap and did not say anything, her hands stroking MiMi.

Gaz noticed, reading her easily. "Dib also knows I'm never intentionally mean to him. It just comes out that way." She paused, eying her hands. "And you shouldn't fidget. It's annoying."

Tak's head snapped up in surprise and slight anger. "I'm not fidgeting!"

"You hide it well, I'll give you that, but it's still fidgeting," Gaz said quickly, in a low tone so the now approaching boys could not here her. Tak scowled a little further, but the expression slipped to monotonous upon seeing the two returning.

Zim looked a bit disapproving, but Dib was really who caught her attention. He was shifting, nervously, as he tried to hide his discomfort. Gaz's eyes narrowed when he caught her suspicious glare and he quickly averted his gaze to the side, as if unaware of her presence. Tak, too, seemed confused about what was going on, her gaze shifting between all three of them. Gaz locked eyes with Zim, who gave her a look that insisted he was not going to speak first.

"What's going on?" Tak demanded, breaking the silence.

Dib cleared his throat bravely, looking to his sister and female companion. He spoke quietly, so that the prisoners (even though they were a ways away) could not hear him. "The Swollen Eyeball is going to remain alive."

Gaz's eyes narrowed, as she knew that was obviously not the whole story.

"_And_?" She demanded, suspiciously. A fear was beginning to creep up on her already weary body. She did _not_ need all this unnecessary anxiousness right now! "Come on, Dib, just spit it out!"

"I'm," He cleared his throat again. "I'm . . . going to be moving with them, in a reserve, so that I can keep an eye on them 24/7 and make sure that they don't try anything stupid. It . . . won't be_ much_ of a life for them, but at least they'll be alive, right?"

"Well wherever you're going, I'm going too." Tak insisted, crossing her arms in a manner that allowed for no question about her decision. "I'm hardly going to stay _here_."

At first, Gaz still did not see why he was so nervous. But a few short minutes later, she froze as she realized the potential problem. Her teeth began to grind together as she locked gazes with her brother.

"Where?" She demanded, venomously. When he looked away again, she repeated her question more forcefully. "Dib, where are you going?"

"Well I mean they could hardly be somewhere where they were constantly reminded of what Zim was doing! That would only make them all the more rebellious to the reserve!"

"Dib!" Gaz shouted, angrily, getting to her feet in a fluid, rather pissed off motion, her fists clenching at her sides.

Tak leaned away from her, a brow rising as she wondered how far she should let this go before she should probably intervene. However a few seconds later her surge of adrenaline wavered and Zim, much to Dib's annoyance (although really, he knew he needed to seriously start getting used to his brother-in-law now that things were seemingly over), was next to her before Dib could even react. Zim caught her in his arms and set her down carefully on the steps again, speaking in a gentle but warning manner.

"Do not push yourself," he ordered her, sitting down next to her with his arm around her shoulder. "You are hardly strong enough to stay awake, let alone move around right now. I _will_ take you back upstairs if you don't control yourself."

For a moment (a blissfully hopeful moment), Dib thought Gaz was going to argue with him. Maybe even hit him, if she was pissed enough. But much to his disappointment, she only glared at him, complying nonetheless. Dib resisted a scowl but not for too long, as he was immediately amused by Tak scooting away from the couple almost unnoticeably. He coughed, hiding a relapse in his control, a laugh nearly escaping from his mouth. But unfortunately, that brought his sister's attention back to him, a piercing glare he flinched away from.

Dib sighed then, submitting. "I want to set it up . . . in Africa."

Gaz did not say a word. Simply stared at him. Then she composed herself, shaking off the initial shock.

"Well, I'm sure I could always find some way to visit, then." She insisted, a scowl on her face as she came up with solutions. "And Dad would be with you, right?"

"Yes," Zim replied, for Dib. "Every member of the Swollen Eyeball, nurses, janitorial men and whatever other low-labor form that hasn't abandoned the organization included, will be locked within the Reserve."

She could sort of understand why he'd picked Africa. It would probably be in a remote, disguised area too, so that natives and tourists alike could not stumble upon it and cause problems within the setup.

"There's a catch though, Gaz," Dib admitted, reluctantly.

He was very close to just not telling her, but she'd find a way to kill him for it later if he just ran off without saying anything. She'd probably find some way into manipulating Tak into doing it. Even if the she-Irk was hard to get to do anything, let alone for a sibling of _his_, Gaz could convince anyone anything. And Gaz would be much more merciful then Tak probably would be. Mainly because Dib was Gaz's sister.

And Tak couldn't give a damn about who anyone was when she was pissed off.

"What?" Gaz demanded, expression acidic again.

Dib noted she was probably almost about to stand up again, as her body was tense. But with a reminding squeeze around her shoulder from Zim and an equally as sever look, she relaxed, if only slightly. It was weird. All his life, Zim had found and used every means of opportunity to bother Dib. Now, he was here, going along with and even _supporting_ his idea, all while restraining his sister so that she would hear Dib out instead of strangling him. Even more surprising was that Zim then turned to Dib, nodding for him to continue. It made Dib slightly uncomfortable, feeling like his former arch-nemesis (a status that had been decidedly changed about five minutes ago) was handling this situation more maturely then he was.

The Membrane boy straightened himself slightly. Unknown to him, Tak's brow rose as she (and somehow only she) noticed, but did not say anything. Dib was determined now. He was not going to let Zim beat him about this. He was going to be the most damn compliant brother-to-the-Empress-of-the-New-World that he could be. No way was Dib going to let Zim look like a better person here! Dib was going to be so freaking nice and supportive to those two from now on, Gaz was going to start getting suspicious!

Dib cleared his throat as he continued, his newfound confidence giving him a stabler voice. "The Reserve will be on total lockdown, to prevent the Swollen Eyeball from attempting something of like what Tak did, with MiMi, about the defense system."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Gaz said, waving her hands for him to stop. One went to her forehead, Zim eying her worriedly, as her eyes flashed up to Dib's in disbelief. "You're locking yourself inside with a bunch of people who probably want to kill you right now? Absolutely not!"

"I'm willing to give your brother an army and a few devices; more then enough to ensure the Swollen Eyeball will be kept under control." Zim said, trying to reassure her, so as to keep her calm.

But she waved a hand for him to be quiet, having eyes only for her brother. "Why don't you just make somebody else watch them? They're not your responsibility just because you know them, Dib! Most of these people are old enough to be our grandfather! You're not their baby-sitter! You shouldn't be volunteering to stand around so that these people who _hate_ you (or did you forget that?) can stay alive!"

He gave her a sad expression. "Gaz . . . I can't just let all these people die when I know that there is something that I can do about it."

Gaz shook her head furiously, as if the information was too much for her. She buried her head in her arms, curling her legs up against her as she took breaths to calm herself. Dib grimaced, feeling her pain, positive it showed on his face. He felt kind of bad for Zim and Tak being present for something that really should've just been him and Gaz, but he guessed by the fact that neither of them were leaving, they could handle it without being uncomfortable.

Finally, she sighed, "You try to play the hero too much, Dib. Now look where it's getting you; stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of crazy people."

"Dad always did say I was going to end up somewhere like that anyways," He joked, remembering that one time he'd been sent to the 'Crazy House' as a child and seeing his Dad there, apparently having expected him to show up eventually.

Gaz snorted, amused, but refusing to show it. "So how long are you going to stay there, till all those stupid old people die?"

"Not all of them are that old," Dib insisted. "Some of them aren't that much older then me. But yes. That, or until they all come to terms with the fact _Zim_ is now in charge."

Gaz noticed only a slight bitterness to the sentence and it made her smile just a bit, glancing between Zim, who was smirking at Dib's irritation (though it was only minor) and Dib, who was giving her a brotherly smile. Maybe those two _could_ cooperate with one another.

_After all_, she thought, resisting a larger smile, _now they have plenty of time to work things out._

"It'll all be planned out thoroughly, Gaz, to ensure safety and efficiency." Zim insisted, holding her to him just a bit more, in a comforting gesture. "And you will be able to call your brother as much as you like over the transmissions I'll have set up in his base, er, home."

Gaz made a face of dejection, but acceptance. Dib was definitely not going to change his mind, so she was going to have to deal with this. And besides, it wasn't like she had to worry about the Swollen Eyeball outliving him or anything. Her father was really the one that was worrying her at the moment, but Gaz was positive that that problem could be worked out too, with time.

"Well," Tak said, breaking the silence. Her voice was laced with sarcasm as she leaned on her hand, glancing boredly between the three. "This is turning out just oh-so-freaking-dandy. And I don't know about any of _you_ people, but _I_ am exhausted. Is there any possibility I could just go to sleep in one of the hundreds of unused rooms in this damned castle?"

Dib nearly groaned, his hand going to his face.

Leave it to Tak to be blunt in a potentially delicate situation.

But Zim was compliant, being far too used to the brash ways of his fellow Irkens. Even if Tak wasn't wholly Irken anymore, she was raised as one, there was no disputing that.

"Yes, of course," Zim said, picking up Gaz and standing. "Follow me, I'll show you to your rooms you'll be staying in until the Reserve is finished. It shouldn't take too long. Probably around a few weeks, for planning and innovating. Meanwhile, I'll keep the Swollen Eyeball under the guards watch and move them into the latest updated prison. They won't break out of _there_, that's for sure."

Gaz didn't have to ask why they couldn't just _stay_ there, even if she wanted to. A prison was no place for Dib's heroes, the people he (hopefully no longer) idolized. A Reserve was a thousand times better than a prison, especially if Dib was helping design it. After all, for all he knew, that was going to be his home for a while too. Maybe even his permanent resting place. Looking over at Dib and Tak following behind, nearly brushing arms and rather obliviously close together, she wondered when exactly Tak would choose to start _that_ conversation.

Dib and Tak were shown rooms that were relatively close to Gaz and Zim's, on that side of the wing (Zim claimed to have fixed them into the security while he had been up here with Gaz; she and Tak both knew it was a big fat lie, but neither of them called him out on it). Thankfully, Skoodge had informed Zim that the security was fixed and back up to date, which started a bit of an argument with Tak and Zim about her breaking what he built and her retorting with the fact he should build his toys better. Both Membrane children were curious; if these dangerous, superior weapons were called 'toys', then what were the _real_ 'weapons'?

With a shared look, they decided not to ask.

Dropping them off in front of their rooms, Zim informed them that they would have clothes delivered up to them soon, so that they could bathe themselves. He then politely excused both himself and Gaz, as he insisted (despite her protests) that she needed to rest, and that Zim had a hell of a mess to clean up now, thanks to Tak's 'little trick', which earned him another smug sneer from her before he spun around on his heel and left them.

Dib was currently in his room now, removing his trench-coat and tossing it on the bed. It was then he heard something 'clink' on the floor and he turned, looking down with surprise. He bent over, eyes narrowing at it, pinching it between his fingers and holding it up to his eyes.

It was a little black, metallic, sort of bead-looking thing. It looked harmless. Maybe some broken piece of a weapon or something . . .?

"Huh," He thought, tossing it aside, into the small trash-can in the room, which landed inside with another 'clink'. "Must have gotten on me during the fight."

It was at that time Tak came barging into his room, beginning to go through his room, like she was looking for something. Dib stared at her in surprise and she ignored him, continuing her search (surprisingly, without MiMi, but Dib guessed her SIR unit was probably resting in the other room), before shaking his head and getting over his initial surprise.

"Tak," he demanded, "What are you doing in here? And why didn't you knock first? I could've been changing or something!"

She did not stop, continuing to open drawers and looking around. "Well, I thought I'd not knock, since you never minded intruding on _me_." Dib scowled at her and she probably knew it, since a small smirk appeared on her face. "But if you must know, I'm looking for anything that might help me with a few of MiMi's repairs that need to be done." She huffed, closing the last of the drawers. "Well, I suppose I expected as much. I guess I'll have to ask _Zim_ for something, as no doubt he's always fixing that insane little defective SIR unit of his."

"Oh," Dib then yawned, heading into the bathroom. Their clothes had arrived a few minutes ago, although Tak obviously had not changed yet. He grabbed his pile, speaking over his shoulder as he walked. "Well, I'm going to take a shower. Feel free to keep looking in here, I guess."

"Mm," She grunted, looking around, as if she had every right to be in his room. Dib just smiled, shook his head, and closed the door (careful to lock _this_ one, just in case she decided to try and look in the bathroom, too).

Tak heard the shower start and was about to leave when she heard a vibration. She stopped and looked around at its consistence before locating Dib's cell-phone, which he'd left on his bed. She picked it up, a brow rising.

"One missed call," she muttered. It then vibrated again, but only once this time. Then both brows rose. "A new text message?"

She did not hesitate to flip his phone open and read it, carefully, noting the Caller ID a bit scornfully. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to read. A moment later Tak was responding, her slender fingers working easily as she carefully worded the reply. Once it was sent, she went through Dib's history, deleting the missed call, and then into his texts, erasing the message and the one she'd sent in reply before tossing the phone back onto the bed, heading into her own room and lying down on the bed, stroking the tired and worn SIR unit that curled up beside her.

"Oh, MiMi," She sighed, her fingers caressing her companions ears. "It seems I still have to take care of a few things."

* * *

SO.

Epilogue, sort of, next chapter.

It's later. Not much later, but still.

So, don't you like how there's only one chapter remaining, and I've still got twists up my sleeves?

All the questions I could think (remember) to answer are in the next chapter.

Th-The last chapter.

. . .

(resists tears)

I-I'm g-g-gonna have to t-talk to you guys later!

Until th-then! *sniffle*

. . . .

**_!_**

**_ALSO, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THINGS ABOUT THIS STORY YOU WEREN'T CLEAR ON, THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO LET ME KNOW AND IF I CAN'T ANSWER IT IN THE STORY, I'LL ANSWER IT IN THE REVIEWS!_**


	38. The Epilogue

Oh my gosh you guys.

If you thought I was upset LAST chapter, you have no idea how sad I am right now that this is finally over.

A three story saga . . . people will finally be able to read through this without having to suffer my insufferable plot-twist-cliff-hangers that I love doing oh so much.

Do you know how HORRIBLE that is for me to know I will never get any more comments swearing at me and cursing me while begging me to update so they can continue reading what happens next?

So, I just want to thank everyone who read and reviewed my story. Your guyses comments really did make a bigger impact on this story then you could've imagined. I tailored scenes and agonized over little details I never would've thought of and made changes and fixed errors all because of you. It's saddening me to know that I will probably only get comments on this last chapter now, AFTER people have read through it instead of chapter by chapter . . . *sniffle* . . .

**But, just to let you know, I have decided to let you all see my 'bloopers' and 'deleted scenes' from all my stories! How things were originally going to start/how I planned them out and am letting you see just how much I really change from my normal thought process on how I'm going to direct my story!**

Just a little treat for you guys being so freaking awesome.

I adore you all! This chapter, I give you what you've been waiting for and answer your questions.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 38  
"The Epilogue"**

It had been about a week.

A girl was waiting, nervously, in the dark, with nothing but a flashlight as she sat on a log and waited for her true love to arrive.

They were wrong. She was going to win him over! Tonight, she was going to confess her real feelings! Nobody was going to take him from her, not while she still had a fighting chance!

A rustling in the bushes made her pick up her flashlight, pointing it in the darkness, standing up.

"Dib?" She called, hopefully.

And the figure emerged.

The girl nearly dropped her flashlight.

"Sorry to disappoint," Said figure informed, bluntly, not sounding really sorry at all, "But Dib won't be coming tonight. In fact, you, Gretchen Weiners, are never going to see him again."

"TAK?" Gretchen shouted, fear making her voice squeak impossibly high. Then she pointed the flashlight at her, like it was a weapon. "W-What did you do with Dib?"

"He never got your message or your call, Gretchen," Tak informed her, carelessly, ignoring the light shining at her and looking past it, to Gretchen. "I sent that message asking you to meet me here, so we could talk. Female to female, I suppose you could put it."

Gretchen swallowed nervously. "Why?"

Tak bared her teeth at her. But it was just her, Gretchen realized; MiMi was nowhere to be seen. "Because Dib is _mine_."

There was deathly silence for a moment.

Then-.

"No," Gretchen breathed. Then she became furious, angry tears falling from her eyes. "NO! He HATES you Tak, he told me so! Dib loves _me,_ not you! _**ME**_! He has a nickname for me and everything! What does he call you, Tak? HUH? NOTHING! He doesn't have a nickname for you because you're not important enough to him!"

Tak seemed uninterested at her emotional outburst, eying Gretchen with indifference.

"Oh?" She questioned, a cruel smirk appearing on her face. "Then why did he take me and not you to his house, Gretchen? Why did we remain together while you were abandoned, along with the rest of his little rebellion?"

Those questions could be easily answered and countered, if Gretchen knew the answers. Dib only took Tak because he needed her to translate, if that turned out to be necessary. And they only remained together because Dib pittied her and made it so Tak wouldn't end up getting herself killed and could be treated properly for her wounds.

But Gretchen did not need to know that, did she?

"I . . . Because he . . .!" Gretchen insisted, struggling for an explanation and coming up with nothing.

"Because he prefers me over you?" Tak pressed, stepping closer to her, making Gretchen shake a little. "Because he didn't give a damn that you were kind to him and has no attraction for you whatsoever? _That's_ what he told _me_, Gretchen. That you were too boring for his tastes. Domestic was actually the world he used, I believe."

"He didn't say that! You're making it up!"

"Even if I am," Tak replied, becoming indifferent again, shrugging. "It doesn't matter. You're never going to see him again anyways."

"I'll just call him again!" Gretchen insisted, scrambling through her pockets for her phone. She began dialing, smugly, sniffling and wiping the tears from her eyes with new-found confidence. "He'll prove you wrong! He'll tell you he loves me right now!"

She dialed his number, waiting for it to ring.

When it did, she heard it.

And not just from her line.

Tak removed the vibrating cell-phone from her pocket, another smirk on her face.

"I figured you would try something as simple and desperate as that," Tak informed the now gaping girl, dangling the phone in between them mockingly. "So I took his phone, to prevent you from humiliating yourself any further."

Gretchen just stared at her, shaking like a leaf. Briefly, Tak wondered if she should care, but realized she really did not. She was enjoying this. She was staking her claim.

And Tak was loving every second of it.

"Now, as I was trying to explain," The vicious female continued, the phone slipping back into her pocket. "Dib and I are going to be moved to a Reserve; he's taking in his Swollen Eyeball friends and making sure that they don't get themselves killed by trying another rebellion, you see. And I'm_ sure_ you now how heroic Dib is, so, you know him; he always has to play the hero. Which is why I brought you here and did not just erase your messages, Gretchen."

"What are you saying?"

"The Reserve is going to be off the grid. Even if you find it, somehow, you won't be able to get it and no one can come out. The only people they'll have contact with is friends and family, of which you," She pointed for emphasis, smirking again, "Are neither."

"No, that's . . .! I don't believe you!" Gretchen shrieked, with finality, stomping her foot on the ground, more tears falling from her ears as she glared at the floor. "I want to speak to Dib!"

Tak rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to retort when there was more vibrations.

Gretchen watched as Tak pulled out another, newer looking phone, looking at the Caller ID before answering it.

"Yes?" She said, curtly, not saying 'hello' to whoever was on the other line. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'where am I'? Why do you need to know?"

There was a response, making her pause.

Tak rolled her eyes, "Can't you get along without me for five minutes, Dib? I'm _busy_. That's all you need to know."

She glanced to gauge Gretchen's reaction to that, only half paying attention to what Dib was saying. The girl looked absolutely petrified, inwardly debating between staying put and wrestling the phone out of Tak's hands. She could see it in her eyes but either way, she was currently rooted to the spot.

"No, I didn't know MiMi and Gir were fighting. I'll talk to her about it when I get back," Her eyes narrowed at his accusatory, enlightened response. "Shut up! I am too still-! Gah, I need not explain myself to you! I'll call you when _I'm done._" She smirked at her purposefully vague answer. And then her smile evaporated at what Dib said next, looking to Gretchen, who was now fighting back tears

For once, she really did feel bad for the girl. She was just trying to win in a game that had all the pieces stacked against her the whole time. In a way, Tak had to admire her dedication to her mission.

So she really did feel guilty saying this in front of her.

"Yeah," Tak murmured, looking away from Gretchen. "I love you too."

And then the girl let out a noise of shock and pain, crumpling to her knees on the floor.

"No, that was just . . . a thing. Yes a thing!" She snapped, in response to his disbelieving tone. Tak sighed at his worried insistence. "I'm fine, Dib, okay? Really, I'll see you soon . . . Alright, bye."

She snapped the phone shut, kneeling beside Gretchen, who had dropped her flashlight. Tak picked it up and handed it back to her, no smugness in her features anymore.

"I'm . . . sorry," Tak finally said, sighing. "And I don't say that to a lot of people, either, so enjoy that."

"You were never supposed to love him," Gretchen whimpered, cradling the flashlight as tears fell from her eyes. "I thought . . . I thought you two were going to hate each other forever."

"Honestly, I did too," Tak admitted, making a face. "And it was really only recently Dib and I became an 'item' I guess you could say. That was only the second time he's said he loves me, too, so it's not like this has been going on for a while."

"He really said I was too domestic?" Gretchen breathed, pained, looking up at Tak.

She hesitated, but nodded, "Yes. And I agree, Gretchen, in an unbiased way. I doubt you even really like _Dib_, so much as you like what he represents to you."

"Huh?"

"You've got Hero-Syndrome," Tak stated, bluntly, forcing the girl back onto her feet. "Meaning, basically, you will get over Dib. If not now, very, _very_ soon."

Gretchen looked down at the floor. "I . . . Okay. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Tak. I'll just go."

"Very well," Tak replied, turning. She paused after a few steps though, looking back to see Gretchen still standing there, looking at the ground, the flashlight held close to her chest. "Oh, and, Gretchen?"

The girl looked up. "Yeah?"

And then Tak did something she'd never done before.

For once in her life, Tak offered a lesser-being a genuine smile, however small.

"Good luck," She stated, smiling kindly at her.

Gretchen smiled back, through her tears. "Thanks. You too."

Tak nodded, turning away from her. As she walked though, able to see perfectly well without the use of a flashlight, Tak began to scowl.

Dib really _was_ making her a softy.

. . . _Ew_ . . .

Well, just another thing that she could get into an argument with him for, then. Tak walked back in silence, for she really was alone, having left MiMi to cover for her. But it seemed Gir's malfunctions were just contagious then.

* * *

**2 Weeks Later**

* * *

Dib knew about his current 'immortality'.

Zim didn't.

That was exactly the way Gaz preferred it, at least for now.

And right now, Tak and Dib were leaving.

Skoodge had left not too long ago. That goodbye had been a bit sad, since Gir hadn't seemed to understand what was going on until Skoodge was taking off into space and then began wailing, as did Minnie-Moose. Zim had to phsyically remove Gir from the lawn, while Gaz grabbed Minnie-Moose, to take them back inside after it had been about 15 minutes and neither of them were willing to move on their own.

Gaz currently had her brother tight in her arms, her head burried in his shoulder, as he did the same in return. It was almost symbollic, in a way, if one were to look at it from a third-person point of view. Tak stood next to the ship, looking back and waiting for Dib to be done. Zim, on the other hand, stood closer to the castle (which they'd be moving away from tomorrow) and watching the siblings without an expression. If one were to see them, they might make some sort of metaphor.

But no one was around to do so, and so no metaphor or profound, insightful statement was uttered.

Tak and Zim were still not friends, and so there was only a nod of slight mutual respect as a parting gesture. Gaz and Tak had a bit more of an understanding; they'd bonded over Dib, basically. Gaz was fine with Tak so long as she didn't hurt Dib and Tak was fine with Gaz because she was her _sahlm's_ brother. They'd formed a silent agreement that would keep them from killing each other.

And that was always a good thing, when you got down to it.

"You call me as soon as you land, you got it?" Gaz insisted, pointing a warning finger at him as she back off a little. "I want you able to take calls. At any time!"

Dib laughed, patting his little sister on the head, a motion she growled at, but otherwise did nothing.

"Gotcha," He agreed, glancing over her shoulder as the siblings released each other. He then glared at Zim, though with only mild disapproval in his eyes. "Take care of her while I'm gone, okay, Zim? Otherwise I will figure out some way to get out and back here to kick your butt!"

Tak snorted, rolling her eyes at his threat. Gaz just snickered at his immaturity.

Zim glared back, though he to didn't seem so serious in his hatred. Living around each other for a few weeks seemed to have changed the two a little, or at least helped them develop a tolerance for the other.

"As if I haven't been doing that for two months now!" Zim snapped, placing his fists on his hips.

Suddenly Gir was on Dib's back, and then on his head, leaning over to look at Dib upside-down and waving. "Bye Big-Headed Boy!"

Dib almost insisted that his head was not big. But then he just sighed, smiling a little, removing the little SIR unit and handing him off to Gaz. "Bye, Gir."

"Squeak!" Minnie-Moose insisted, bobbing himself to nudge Dib gently on the shoudler.

Dib laughed, rubbing him on the head. "Bye to you too, Minnie-Moose."

To be honest, he really had no idea what the little thing had said. But he hoped he assumed right, as that was his best guess.

"Bye, Gaz," Dib muttered, quietly, looking at the floor before glancing up at his sister again.

Gaz smirked at him, knowing full-well she'd see him again. Eventually. "See you later, Dib."

"Hurry up, Dib!" Tak snapped, getting into the plane that would be taking them. "You're so slow, even for a human!"

"I am not!" Dib shouted in complete disapproval, turning to run after her.

She scoffed, getting into the ship as the two began arguing.

Zim snickered, holding Gaz around the waist and ducking low to murmur in her ear, "Remind you of anyone?"

"You compare our relationship to theirs and I will never speak to you again," She informed him, bluntly, not looking away from the door as it closed behind her brother.

He chuckled again, but did not press the subject further.

The plane was not of human design.

Rather then needing a runway, the small little aircraft (auto-piloted, of course, but Tak knew how to drive it if the need came up) hovered up into the air like a helicopter, slowly. A few seconds later Gaz saw Dib's face pressed up against the window, grinning at her and waving. She smirked at him and waved back, though not quite as spastically. She saw Tak's pale hand smack across his head, making him flinch and stick his tongue out at her teasingly before looking back to Gaz, who was slowly becoming out of view. Gaz shook her head, her hand falling to her side as the plane finally took off.

They waited until it was entirely out of their seeing-range before turning to go back in the house.

* * *

To call things 'routine' after that would be a very loose statement.

The 'usual happenings' were more like guidelines for what really happened on a daily basis in the time that followed.

Of course Gaz called Dib on a regular basis. Their father had been shipped along with the rest of the Swollen Eyeball, having been picked up on their way to the Reserve, so that the remaining wouldn't need to be imprisoned. Membrane was often on those calls to check up on them and normally Gaz tuned out a part of the conversations when he talked with Zim about whatever latest scientific thing he was working on and the technology he could use to build it. Membrane was the only one allowed at the Reserve to still play with things, although it was done in secret, so as not to cause problems inside of the facility.

During their stay, Tak's history had come out, including her past with Dib and Gaz's father. At first, Gaz hadn't trusted her because of that, but it seemed Tak had no begrudging emotions left in her for the man that fathered her _sahlm_.

On a more personal level though, Tak never saw nor heard from Gretchen again and neither did Dib. A few times she brought the girl up, but Dib always answered with something like 'oh yeah . . . wonder what happened to her?' and then would shrug and drop the subject. Tak knew he really did not think much of her and it made her feel pleased for herself and sympathetic towards the broken-hearted female she had left behind in the woods. She never told Dib about that as she doubted it would ever do anything but make him a bit irked that Tak hadn't let him deal with his own problems.

Gretchen's _cousins_, however, were another story entirely.

Tip and Tine, when they turned 18, immediately enrolled in the army, a task which very few had willingly done. Upon seeing their names, Zim was in such disbelief he had to show Gaz, who realized she had never _really_ told him about her time with Dib and their rebellion and explained that the twins could probably be rather good in the army, depending on what position they were given. But it would have to be a joint position, whatever it was, as those two balanced each other out.

Zim ended up making them work their way up the food-chain, so to speak, until he decided they were ready to handle the position he wanted to set them up for; Intelligence. Because let's face it; together or apart, those two can get any amount of information out of anyone and know the difference between the useful stuff and the irrevelant stuff.

Despite the Swollen Eyeball and Dib being out of the game, rebellions were popping up all over the place now. And, according to Zim's calculations, that would probably never stop. It was Tip and Tine's job to figure out who was in charge of which one, where the members could be found and what was their weak spot. And if they weren't doing that, they were working on Cold Cases actually, a task they had a nack for. Zim had decided that humans needed to pay for their crimes, no matter how old, to show that there was no tolerance for misbehavior anymore. If you did something wrong, you _were_ going to get caught and you _were_ going to pay for disrupting the peace.

It took only about ten years for Zim to figure out what Gaz had done, when he'd become suspicious about Dib's appearance over the calls and very much doubted it was from healthy habits. Upon discovering the Pill was gone, he'd casually informed Gaz it was missing, in which she casually replied that if one were to look for an object that small, they were probably not going to find it anywhere. Zim had let the subject drop.

Because honestly, he had figured that was going to happen.

The Tallest called sometimes. Rarely, every once in a while, just to check on how things were going really and just chat. Zim was actually afraid of these calls, each time hoping that they weren't going to invite Gaz and him back or request he be given Tallest Training. Both were unlikely, considering Zim (although he'd made quite the impression with Gaz last time) had a reputation of being a screw-up and no one would want him as Tallest and after getting so hurt last time (Zim knew the Tallest knew, even though she'd hidden it well) they would know Zim wasn't about to let that happen again.

But still, he was always just a bit uneasy when they called to check in on him.

Eventually, the royalty in the castle back in Europe did end up leaving, since they were more then wealthy enough to live on their own. They were still respected among their city, but that was simply out of old habit. Gaz was sure that eventually, when the Queen's generation died out, the youngest children would be able to walk among the streets unnoticed, probably the way the'd end up preffering it. Gaz really was interested to see how they turned out, just out of curiosity. She _did_ keep an eye on them, even if they did not notice.

All in all, it was best for everyone that things remained the way they were, had been, and hopefully, would always be.

Meaning?

Well, that their lives remained as unpredictable, convoluted and clinically insane as possible.

* * *

**Bloopers/Deleted Scenes in the next chapter.**

To you all, I am truly excited and happy that I was able to, with your help, make this story such a success.

I am devoted to you all.

And I am sorry to say, there will not be a sequel. This is the end of a saga that has far exceeded my non-existent expectations. I didn't even have expectations, to be honest, and now these stories are everywhere. I cannot tell you how much that freaking means to me. It really means more to me then you guys could possibly now, so hopefully one day, you'll all write stories and be able to experience success for yourselves. But, if by some off chance I do continue, I'll update this story to let you know.

Thank you all for sticking by me through twists, cliff-hangers, uncomfortable sex scenes and whatever else I hurled at you! Thick and thin, I loved that I never lost any of you.

So thanks. Really.

Echo, out, for the last time!


	39. Bloopers

In which I give you insight into how much this story, and even my other stories, changed.

* * *

Surprisingly, this was actually supposed to go in **My Hostage Not Yours 2: The Revenge of Player 2**. This was before I even began writing it, when I was still wriiting the first of this saga.

Originally it took place during Skool, not summer.

So here it is.

Gaz was really hating this new policy.

The world, and apparently the Skool Board, was reverting back to the idea that females needed to be petite, girlish things and men needed to be the strong ones. So they'd apparently taken a page from Japan's book and were now requiring the girls to wear new P.E. uniforms; a skirt and a tucked-in, fitted sports jersey. Of course, as with every new policy, people protested, but all that resulted from that was a change of curriculum for the girls. No longer would they be playing sports but now, Gaz would be mainly doing track and yoga.

This was utterly ridiculous.

So Gaz was running the track now in an orange skirt that went to her thighs and a short-sleeved, light blue top. She wore sneakers but had half expected the Skool to make her wear heels. Girls beside her gave Gaz annoyed looks as she had tripped a few of the more giggly ones. The teacher was informing them they had break now, for ten minutes, before they started up again. Gaz snorted as the petite, weak girls in the class panted gratefully and came to a stop, flopping down on the benches. The classes were gender segregated now as well and glancing into the fields, Gaz could see them all playing sports or something. She scowled at that.

And Gaz was so busy glaring at the boys, who really had no fault in the matter but deserved to suffer nonetheless anyway in her opinion, that she did not notice the person creeping up behind her. Said person grabbed her arm, snatching her and jerking her intothe bushes, unnoticed by any of the onlookers.

Gaz was about to land a solid punch on her attacker when she saw who it was and glared at them. "You're an idiot."

"It's good to see you as well," He retorted, snorting. "Find a way to get out of class. There's something that I need to show you."

Her brow rose. "Did you find something on Iggins?"

"Yes, but I don't feel comfortable saying it out in the open." Zim growled, looking around suspiciously.

She nodded and then smirked. "Which class did you ditch to get here?"

He smirked back, proud of his ditch, apparently. "Science. It is not as if they can teach me anything anyways. I am ZIM, not some ignorant Earth-stinky."

"Right," Gaz replied with an eye roll. "Fine. I'll fake an injury and meet you in front of the school."

_End_

* * *

**Back to THIS story.**

**This Section covers the outtake with the kids: Penelope, Estelle/Stella, and Tyler, interracting with Gaz.**

This part was originally how Chapter 26 continued, after Gaz went outside and in between when Zim found her in Chapter 27. And the original chapter title was called "Secrets and Seclusion".

The song is "Welcome to the Slaughterhouse" by Lily Holbrook

So:

**Chapter 26**  
**"Secrets and Seclusion"**

Gaz tugged her hood over her head a bit more, looking around, for Zim's sake.

"No one here," She confirmed, walking out into the gardens.

She wasn't quite sure what had urged her to come out here. It wasn't like she was particularly fond of plants or anything like that. Was it pretty? Sure, I guess, if you were into that kind of stuff, but Gaz had never really been one for being awe-struck by anything. Maybe she was just bored of being stuck inside of a building for so long.

Yeah. That was probably it.

Gaz shrugged, wondering further. Eventually she made way to the fountain, peering over the bushes to find her way to it. A part of her wished she had taken Gir or someone with her because it was awfully boring to be by ones self, especially without her hand-held.

"What else is there to do?" She questioned. And then she growled.

Oh great! She thought, irritated. Now I'm talking to myself! Stupid Dib! All his weirdness is finally starting to rub off on me.

She shook the thought off, sitting down on the bench beside the fountain, making a face of contemplation. Eventually she began to think about humming, as she was completely alone. But what music did she listen to that was worth humming?

A twig snapped and she jumped to her feet, spinning around and tensing out of sheer habit (one she had no intention of discarding, though).

She was met with a rather unexpected sight.

There was that little girl again. Estelle or Stella. She was gaping at Gaz, mouth opening and closing with words she could not form in her surprise. Gaz's brow rose, not quite sure herself what to do. She looked around, noticing no one was with her. Strange how they trusted such a young girl to be by herself in the garden when Zim hardly trusted her to. The thought made her smile.

"E-Excuse me, ma'am!" The girl finally shouted, unnecessarily loud in her panic. She stumbled into a hurried curtsy, staring up at Gaz with undeniable fear in her eyes, watering like she'd just been scolded. "I-I didn't mean to intrude! I didn't know you were out here!"

Gaz eyed her. Well, she was just a kid after all. And kids were never fun to play with. They got scared to easily.

So, in the end, Gaz just nodded and sat back down, facing away from her.

There was quiet.

"Excuse me if I'm being rude, ma'am," The girl said shyly, stepping towards her. "We're . . . We're you saying something? B-Before I came, I mean."

Gaz sighed. She wasn't going to go away, most likely, unless she answered her questioned. But she just nodded again, saying nothing as she tried to recall her words.

". . . W-Would you mind if I stay? Here, I mean, by the fountain. No one ever finds me here a-and, um-."

"If you stop stuttering, you can stay." Gaz said, finally speaking, turning to look at the girl again. "I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to act like I am."

She flushed, embarrassed, but no smile accompanied it like Gaz had expected. She nodded, looking at the floor and sitting opposite Gaz on the bench.

There was more quiet.

"You were saying?" Gaz pressed, looking at her.

The girl's head snapped up in surprise. "Ma'am?"

"You were explaining to me why you were here." Gaz reminded her, bluntly. "I told you to stop stuttering, not to stop explaining."

"Oh, right, well." She fiddled with her hands in her lap, focusing on her shoes. Her legs kicked as she spoke, fidgeting. Gaz nearly sighed again, but this was just a little kid. You couldn't get them to sit still for anything, especially when they were nervous. "My cousin and I . . . we had a fight and I don't want to speak to him now."

Gaz's brow rose, curious. "Let me guess; you fought with the boy I saw you with? Tyler, I believe?"

The girl nodded, still not looking up, but Gaz saw the surprise that flashed in her eyes. She probably hadn't expected Gaz to know that.

"And your name . . . Estelle or something, right?"

"Stella." She corrected, quietly.

Gaz nodded, looking away.

More silence.

Gaz decided to ignore the little girl's presence, thinking over her predicament. She was going to have to talk to Zim later, about her brother. That was something she had put off for a while. And Tak. What were they going to do now that she was-?

"Why do you always have your hood up?"

And Zim wondered why she hadn't wanted Gir to come.

Gaz sighed. "Because."

"Are you terribly ugly?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief, giving the girl a look. "Why in the hell would you assume that?"

She didn't mind cussing in front of a small girl. It was hardly a cuss word anyways and besides, she didn't seem to notice.

"Mummy told me that people who hide their faces wear things that hide them, so they aren't humiliated."

Gaz ignored the fact she called her mother 'mummy', so as not to gain further hatred for this child.

"You've got a very extensive vocabulary for someone whose only 9."

"I have- had a lot of teachers." The girl corrected, quickly, politely.

Gaz nodded, sighing. "Well, no, I'm not ugly. It's just cold out. Speaking of which, aren't you cold? You've got nothing but a dress on."

"It's warm!" Stella said defensively.

She rolled her eyes, and did not question her further. "Alright."

"Can I see your face?"

"Why, do you not believe me?" Gaz questioned, eyes narrowing at her. This kid was starting to get on her nerves.

"I just wanted to see your face." She muttered, looking at her kicking feet again.

Gaz curled her hands into fists underneath her cloak.

Don't scare the little girl, she told herself. It's not HER fault she was raised by idiots.

Gaz scowled, "Well, fine, I guess. But don't tell anyone, alright? Especially Zim."

Stella nodded furiously, shivering, as if the very thought of having any communication with her husband scared the crap out of her. Gaz smirked before reaching up, gripping the sides of the hood.

"Stella!"

"Stella, are you out here?"

Gaz dropped her hands at once, getting to her feet. "They're looking for you."

"Oh no, they can't find me!" Stella said, fearfully. "I don't want to talk to Tyler yet!"

Without anything else to do, Gaz just turned away from her.

"Wait!" Stella cried out.

Gaz froze, eyes wide.

"Wait! Don't leave me here!"

She shook off the mental image of her dream, holding the cloak tighter around herself, not turning around. "What?"

"Help me, please!" The girl begged. "Can't you hide me somewhere?"

"Where?" Gaz demanded, in disbelief. "You know this place better than I do. Where could I hide you that you don't already know of?"

Stella gaped at her, mouth wide. "I-."

"There you are!"

They both turned, only to see the newcomers freeze.

"Oh," Penelope blinked, eyes wide. "Oh, um, I'm sorry, I-."

"Why are you apologizing?" Tyler demanded, glaring at Gaz. "We didn't do anything wrong."

"We interrupted a conversation." Penelope hissed at him, gripping his arm. "Excuse him, he's a bit cranky."

Gaz just shrugged. "It's no problem of mine how irritable your sibling is."

Tyler glared more severely at her.

"However," Gaz took steps towards them, making Penelope instinctively pull Tyler back a bit. Gaz continued until she had her hand on Stella's shoulder, pushing her forward, towards them. "The next time you find it a good idea to argue with one another, don't. Yelling is hardly going to get any of you anywhere. You're the youngest; shouldn't you have formed a packed of some sort?"

Without giving them time to respond, she left, pushing past them and leaving them stunned.

Stupid kids.

_End._

* * *

This next part is **how I originally planned for Zim and Gaz to have sex**, which went undescribed (originally). The beginning scene in "The Honeymoon" was actually written at the same time this was. And originally, Zim did not tell Gaz he loved her, so Chapter 9 & 10 were major decisions I made in moving the story that much more forward. And Zim and she never REALLY discussed compatibility too, so really you guys, chapter 10 was a major plot thrower for me and I had to start over from scrap while writing that chapter. They WERE married though. They just never did anything about it.

**Chapter ?**  
**"Love"**

Gaz didn't know what to feel but content as she looked over the scenery that was held from her balcony. She had to admit, she thought there'd be more flames. Gaz thought when this was over she'd be watching the world burn to the ground, feel the tremors as everyone shook with fear. She'd imagined herself looking up at a red sky that, instead of the ocean, reflected the blood that would probably flood the streets.

But instead the sky was a cloudy, sullen gray. Armies in red marched through the streets and occasionally burst into buildings. Gaz had expected more resistance but then maybe her judgment was tainted by the many years of playing video games that involved rebellions against empires. Humans were really just cowards when it all came down to it and the lack of uproar to being taken over so completely, stripping a freedom- worshipping world of the very thing they prided themselves with just proved that fact all the more. Complete surrender. Was this really the world Dib had dedicated his entire childhood to protecting?

"How does it feel, looking at a world that's entirely yours?" A voice asked from behind her.

Gaz didn't turn but smirked. She simply corrected, "Ours, Zim. A world that's entirely ours."

Zim chuckled as he stood beside her, hands on the railings as he breathed in the air that suddenly seemed sacred to him. And she knew by that look in his deep, red eyes as he watched the army's march through the streets that he knew all too well that the Earth was his as well.

"Right," Zim agreed, glancing at her before looking back to the expanse of land. "That does not answer the question though."

She thought about it, eventually smiling. "I think Earth should be thanking us for our takeover. It was bound to fall into chaos soon. Now it'll finally have some order."

"A world in need of mending," Zim amended.

Gaz nodded. "Between the two of us, it shouldn't take too long. Look at what we've already accomplished."

Zim serious, dictator expression curled up into a smirk. "And to think I'd nearly given up on my mission."

"That's what you have me for," Gaz joked, looking out at the expanse of order they'd created.

"Motivation."

"You've no idea," She heard Zim mutter.

Inclining her head towards him he saw her examining her carefully. Gaz glanced down at herself, feeling the wind whip her hair around her face and send a chill up her bare back. She hugged her arms around herself, refusing to shiver and kept a straight face as Gaz watched the grounds. However, she felt Zim's chest press against her back, wrapping his arms around her slowly.

"You need not pretend for Zim," he murmured to her, head bent low to speak directly into her ear.

"If you are cold, we can go back inside."

"I'm fine," Gaz insisted, peering at him over her shoulder. "I don't pretend for anyone."

"You are tougher then you look," Zim informed her. "But not immune to your bodies needs."

"My body is fine, actually," She hissed, slightly irritated.

She felt Zim's arms tighten around her as he chuckled. "Yes, there's no doubt about that."

Gaz blushed involuntarily, biting her lip. "Not what I meant."

"But it is what_ I_ meant," Zim informed was almost a nervous hesitation, intriguing Gaz. And then, very quietly, he breathed into her ear, "I love you."

That was all she needed.

She turned her body in Zim's arms, dead-locking his eyes with him. Gaz had a look of deadly seriousness. "You mean that?"

Zim eyed her and honestly considered his words. Back home, love was as good as a death sentence. But he wasn't home. And looking at Gaz he knew.

"Yes."

She nodded, looking down. "Maybe we should go inside."

Zim scrutinized her expression but she wouldn't look at him. She kept turning her face away, like her mind was elsewhere. He nodded though, leading her back inside, his gloved hand on the small of her bare back. Even through his gloves, however, he could feel the heat of her body through it. He let her in first before entering himself, shutting the doors and drawing the curtains for privacy. When he turned Zim saw Gaz, unnaturally still, standing in the middle of their room.

"Is something wrong?" He questioned, warily.

Gaz looked over her shoulder at him. "Do you remember when we were talking a while ago, about . . . being . . . 'compatible'?"

Zim's brow rose. "Yes. What about it?"

"Did . . . Did you ever figure out if we . . . were?" Gaz finished, looking up at him, with a slight nervousness.

"Yes," Zim's eyes widened and he stepped towards her quickly. "Gaz, Zim had no intention of making you-!"

"No, I never expected that." She insisted, looking away again. "You wouldn't have to make me, though, Zim. In the eyes of Earthen culture, you already have that right to claim me."

He looked at her in disbelieving scorn, continuing to take slow, deliberate steps towards her. "In case you didn't notice, Gaz, I hardly care for what your culture deems appropriate or admissible. Zim cares what you think, not these idiotic worm-babies."

She smiled at him a little, turning to face him with her chin held high, as if she was loosing her pride just by offering this. "I know that. Don't you think it's just about time that it happened anyways, though?"

Zim scrutinized her, walking around her slowly, as if cornering his prey. "And why the sudden change of heart? If you wanted this before, why now?"

Gaz looked down, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Because I wasn't sure you loved me before now."

Suddenly Zim was in front of her, tipping her chin upwards with earnest and shocked, even angry eyes. Such a combination of emotions. Gaz felt her breath hitch, not sure how to handle that many feelings directed at her.

"I have always loved you, Gaz," Zim informed her, deathly serious. It frightened her, even if it was something she wanted to hear. Gaz wasn't used to feelings. All this time she'd thought she had a sense of independence. But now it was gone.

She really was Zim's now.

"I know that now," She assured him, quietly.

"Don't forget it," Zim growled, almost angry.

Like it was her fault he hadn't ever told her before then!

Her eyes narrowed. "I won't."

"And you . . . you love Zim as well, correct?" He'd said this rather nervously, like he was scared of her answer.

Gaz smirked. Zim's fear of her affection made her feel like she had power. "Yes."

He seemed almost relieved, but trying to hide it from her. "Then we're back to the previous matter; are you sure about this?"

"Positive," Gaz replied with finality. She shook her head, shrugging. "You already own me Zim. You might as well make it completely official."

Once again he gave her a cold, calculating look, searching for any signs of reluctance or hesitation. He found none. And suddenly Gaz found one hand forcing her to him, his mouth encasing hers completely, and his other hand was gently sliding the dress off her shoulders. The fabric was barely heard over their quickening, heavy breaths as it hit the ground.

_ End._

* * *

Originally how Chapter 25 started, but I took it out because it was irrelevant to the story.

The song is "Sexbomb" by Tom Jones I believe.

The real reason this exists at all is because I got this damn song stuck in my head. I didn't finish it though, as I soon realized it's ridiculousness and took it out.

**Chapter 25**  
**"I've Never Dreamed Before"**

Zim sat back, quite content with himself as he breathed heavily, lying with his arms behind his head with a grin that beat all others on his face.

Gaz glanced down at her dress that had been carelessly tossed across the room, glaring at it. It really had taken Zim only ten second to get it off. She had a nagging suspicion he knew the quickest ways to get all of the clothes in her wardrobe off but she doubted he'd ever admit it. She could hear him shift as his PAK reappeared, smiling a little bit at the noise it made. It was almost melodic, in a weird way.

"I enjoy it when you smile," Zim informed her, pulling her from her thoughts. "You don't do it enough."

She turned towards him, the smile gone.

"See? And then they leave so quickly!"

"If I went around smiling constantly, it would get annoying, to both of us." Gaz informed him, dryly. But she humored him and smirked, sliding closer to him a moment before kissing him, gently. She pulled away soon after, getting out of bed.

Zim's brow rose as he sat up. Immediately his PAK warned him he needed to hibernate, but he ignored it, watching Gaz. "Where are you going?"

Gaz shot him an amused look over her shoulder, pausing before she entered the closet. "Relax, Zim. I'm just going to the courtyard."

"Why?" He demanded. His PAK by now was demanding he place himself in hibernation but he refused, forcing himself to remain awake until he knew Gaz was going to be okay, wherever she was going. "Are you alright?"

"It's healthy to walk around without your shadow every once in a while." Gaz informed him sarcastically, but with a smirk. "Now go sleep, or whatever it is you call it. I can see your back twitching. Knock it off and rest."

Zim scowled at her, giving her a wary look. "You'll be alright, then?"

"I promise. Now rest before I knock you unconscious." She threatened lightly, but it was real. "If it makes you feel better, I'll bring Gir, okay?"

She saw the reluctance in his eyes but eventually he lay himself back down, eyes shutting as his PAK kicked in finally. Gaz couldn't help but smile to herself before going into the closet and grabbing the first thing she could get hre hands on. In truth, Gaz didn't mind spending so much time with Zim but she did need some time to herself every now and then. Even if she was bringing Gir, he'd probably run off, leave her to herself. Gaz was used to bein a solitary creature most of the time. On top of everything going on, she really needed some time outisde, so she wasn't feeling so suffocated.

Gaz eventually found the dress was white. However, as someone who had just been married, she did not want to wear white again anytime soon. So she tossed it away and found a pair of jeans and a red top, of which the sleeves hung off the shoulders. Gaz was noticing almost all of the outfits she found, most of them revealed her neck and shoulders. It was a funny coincidence, since Zim particularly liked that part of her body.

She rolled her eyes, grabbing a dark red, almost black cloak (because that was the only thing she could find as a coat equivalent) and heading outside after putting on some sneakers. She shut the door behind her. Doubtless, Zim would only be out for a few hours. Not a lot of time, but enough.

"Computer," She said, aloud, wondering if it would work. "Contact Gir and tell him to meet me . . . wherever it is I am right now."

Despite Zim's extensive tour, Gaz still decided this place was huge. It was going to take a while for her to get used to this place so for now, when she wasn't with Zim, she'd make Gir or Scoodge take her around.

Gaz waited only a few minutes before she heard Gir's squeals. She looked in time to move aside as he jetted past her, his intention actually to barrel into her but failing to do so. Instead he slammed into the wall and slid onto the floor. Her brow rose.

Immediately he was up on his feet, giggling. "Again! Again!" Then he noticed Gaz again. "Oh hi, Mistress!"

"How do you get to the courtyard, Gir?" Gaz replied.

Gir's eyes flashed red and he pointed. Then he giggled, reverting, taking her hand and tugging on it. "This way!"

It took all of about ten minutes, mainly because Gir had started running after a few steps. Gaz really didn't mind, in fact, it felt nice to run. She hadn't done it in a while. They made it to an elevator and then from there, a grand staircase that led them outside. Gaz had no idea how many floors this place was but as soon as they got outside, she turned to look back at the fortress.

And her jaw dropped.

This place was huge!

"Mistress?" Gir asked, concerned and worried by her abrupt stop. He walked back, having released her hand, looking up at his second master.

Gaz shook off her awe, rolling her eyes at her own ridiculous reaction and turning away, taking in a deep breath of fresh, polluted, normal air that was not taken from a balcony that was probably twenty feet feet off the ground. She pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face from Gir.

"Gir," She instructed, looking at the fountain in the middle of courtyard as she spoke. "Go play."

"Okay!" He shouted, beaming at once. His head opened and a boom-box came out, which he held above his head and began to dance to, rocking his robotic hips back and forth rather fluidly.

Gaz face-palmed.

She just shook her head though, leaving him to dance as she went to the fountain. Her white palm hovered above the gently rippling surface, for absolutely no reason other then she could. It was obvious that the fountain did not have water in it (one of the reasons she decided not to touch it), as it had a slighlty milky sheen to it, but it still looked close enough to water to pass.

Her head snapped towards the gates (which was actually just a giant archway, but the force-field acted as enough of a gate, bars weren't necessary) as people began shouting. It was still early morning, which was probably why the press was only just arriving. They had been droopy eyed, tired from being up so early, but upon seeing someone was outside they were immediately awake, as close to the see-through bubble as they could get, scrambling to get their cameras out.

Her eyes narrowed at them, standing up to go back inside.

Gir made odd, whiny noises then, distracting (and, though she'd never admit it, worrying) her. She turned her attention to him. He was running over to the fountain now, hand groping for something under the ring arond it. He placed his boom-box down next to where she had just sat, searching, his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he searched.

"Gir." She crossed her arms, a brow rising. "What are you doing?"

"Aha!" He squeaked, finding whatever it was he wanted. He retracted his hand, holding up another chord that could apparently connect to the one on his music player.

Gaz's eyes widened and then she sat back down, groaning.

Gir just made more hurrying sounds, connecting the two with joy. Speakers projected from the four corners of the courtyard around them, panels sliding aside to free them.

She was really regretting letting him "play" now.

By now all the reporters had their cameras out, trained on her and her nuisance of a companion. Gaz was glad she had pulled her hood over her head, hiding her reactions to the press. Her main reason was so they wouldn't get shots of her face and she could disappoint them with crappyshots, but also, it was kind of cold out and the wind would probably keep blowing her hair in her face in an annoying fashion. The hood prevented that.

Gir squealed, grooving to the music that was now (unfortunately) much clearer. And despite the hood, the pictures were still snapping and the cameras were still rolling, especially with the dancing robot next to her.

Gaz rolled her eyes at Gir as he danced, completely engrossed in the song. In truth it was actually pretty funny, especially when he pulled his rubber piggy from his head and began using it as a dance partner.

"This is ridiculous," She muttered to herself, but she couldn't keep the smirk off of her face.

Gir, as if noticing her for the first time again, squealed and raced over to her. People were laughing by now, the news reports trying to broadcast this new even within the walls of Emperor Zim's base without laughing and failing rather miserably. As Gir raced towards Gaz though, setting his rubber piggy down carefully on the fountain and holding his hand out to her, people stopped, curious to see what their new Empress would do.

Gaz shook her head, speaking sternty as her smiled evaporated and she glared at him. "No, Gir."

Gir made a whining noise, moving to sit on her lap. His big, cerulean eyes watered as he stared at her, pleading. "But, Mistress, you have to!"

Her brow rose, "Who says?"

"If you don't I . . . I . . .!" Gir threw back his head and wailed, very much like a toddler who did not get what he wanted. She covered her ears, hands pressing against them through the fabic of the cloth.

"Stop that!" She hissed, clamping her hand over his mouth. She glared at him from under the hood. "Call Scoodge or someone to do it! Minnie-Moose, or whoever, but I'm not going to dance with you, Gir. No matter how much you scream."

"Aw," Gir said, wilting. But then he pulled his single antenna down, speaking into it as he got off her lap and walked off.

Gaz sighed, standing up again. She really should go back inside. She had come out here with the intention of getting some time to herself, but now there was loud music playing, Gir trying to coerce people into dancing with him, and press/civilians watching her every move.

This was hardly her definition of 'personal time'.

At that moment she turned towards the door to see Scoodge come out, looking panicked and frightened.

His eyes rested on Gaz and he froze, skidding to a hault in front of her and saluting. "M-Mistress! You called for me?"

Gaz's brow rose. "No I didn't."

Scoodge's jaw dropped and he spun around, only to be pounced on by Gir. Scoodge hit the pavement on his back, groaning. Gaz leaned over him, looking down curiosly, wondering if he'd broken anything. A fall wouldn't have killed him but being torpedoed by a spaz of a SIR unit? It was possible.

Gir sat on his stomach, beaming at him. "Dance time!"

"What?" Scoodge demanded. "Gir-!"

Gir forcibly pulled him on his feet, making Gaz step back at the quick movement. She caught herself in one step, her stumble completely disguised. Gaz glanced at the press again, wondering if they had any idea who was outside; all they saw was someone in a cloak, a robot, and Invader Scoodge, probably the only one who they could've recognized. Gaz smirked.

Idiots.

They probably had no idea what was going on, since they were too far away to hear them, only the music, since it was so damn loud.

She'd really have to tell Zim about this later. Although it was doubtful he wouldn't see it on the news, if he watched the news. She toyed with that idea in her head as she watched Gir force Scoodge into being his dance partner, oblivious of the poor little alien's cries of protest. But Scoodge was too panicked to control the situation and so Gaz watched, amused, a good distance away from Gir and his 'fun'.

Gaz hadn't danced in a while, she knew. She had taken classes up until last year, when there was the option of joining a proffessional team or quitting. In the end she had decided to just quit, not quite having the 'passion' to continue. Her instructors had seemed disappointed but that was hardly her problem. She wondered what they those people in her class thought now, seeing her on the news. She wondered what anyone thought of her now. And then Gaz couldn't help but snicker as she wondered what Miss Bitters thought.

"Gir, calm down!" She ordered. "You're going to break him."

Scoodge sent her an appreciative look as Gir stopped spinning him. She simply smirked at him. After all, it was her fault that Gir had lured him down (in a scheme Gaz was surprised someone like Gir could come up with) here in the first place. She had to at least make sure that he wasn't broken while filling in for her as Gir's plaything.

She rolled her eyes at the song.

_"Sexbomb, Sexbomb  
You're a sexbomb!  
You can give it to me when I need to come along  
Sexbomb, Sexbomb  
You're my sexbomb!  
And baby you can turn me on!"_

"Where the hell does he find these songs?" She muttered to herself, getting a brief flashback of Gir putting on a music video when she'd been staying at Zim's base, during the LEECHY incident. Was it just Gir's personal choice, the catchiness of the songs, or was every song just inappropriate these days? She smirked though. No doubt Gir was making this song popular now. Once this hit the internet people would be all over it again.

She stood there, well hidden under the cloak for who knew how long. Apparently Gir was very entertaining, far more then the hidden figure that wasn't doing anything and standing off to the side, as people with free hands were clapping along to the beat. A few people were even shuffling a little. Gaz shook her head at these peoples rather goofy reactions.

And humans wondered why they were the lower race.

_"I'm your main target, come on help me ignite! (OW!)  
Lovestruck and holding you tight (Hold me tight darling!)"_

She was so busy making fun of their reactions that when people let out gasps of surprises and moved their cameras away, Gaz did not notice, instead looking up at the sky and wondering how in the hell she was the same species as these people.

So when arms wrapped around her from behind Gaz jumped, spinning around and pulling quickly out of the grasp as she did so.

Gir shouted in joy upon noticing the new party, releasing Scoodge (who promptly collapsed with exhaustion, breathing heavily on the floor) and darting into the arms of the newcomer.

"Master!" Gir shouted, clearly pleased. "Did you come to dance with meeee?"

"I was honestly just curious about all the noise," Zim replied, smirking at Gaz, who was giving him a warning glare. "But I do think you should give Scoodge a rest, Gir. But why isn't Gaz dancing?"

"She won't dance with me!" Gir wailed at once, the tears coming back into his eyes. Gaz glared hatefully at him.

"Whiner." She muttered under her breath.

"Oh she won't, will she?" Zim sneered, placing his SIR unit on the ground. "Well maybe she'll dance with me."

"Don't even think about it," she growled, back away from him.

Zim laughed at her. The press were truly curious now, having an idea who the cloaked figure was, but not entirely sure.

And in the background throughout this, she could hear.

"And yes I must react To claims of those Who say that you are not all that!"

"Come now, Gaz!" He teased, gripping the hood. "Wasn't I just scolding you for your lack of joy? Must Zim teach you everything?"

She hissed at him as he threw off the cloak.

Immediately there was more of a racket behind them. Anything to get a shot of their new ruler with his new bride.

"No." She growled.

_"Sexbomb, Sexbomb."_

He threw the rest of the cloak off, tossing it to Gir, who draped it over his and Scoodge's lap, as the alien had attempted to go back to the fortress to rest but only managed to get to the fountain before collapsing on the lining.

"Zim," She warned again, severely.

"What?" He demanded, wide-eyed an inoccent.

_"You're a sexbomb!"_

Before she could further protest he placed both hands on her hips, forcing her to sway.

_"You can give it to me when I need to come along  
Sexbomb, Sexbomb  
You're my sexbomb!  
And baby you can turn me on!"_

_End_

* * *

There were more.

But my computer crashed halfway through this story and deleted them.

Sorry. :(

So yeah, that's it.

Later!


	40. MY HOSTAGE NOT YOURS 4?

Hey everyone.

Long time no see, eh?

Interested in seeing how YOU can make **MY HOSTAGE NOT YOURS 4** a reality?

Follow the youtube link below to find out!

watch?v=OJz9AGF09EQ&feature=g-u-u


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